@article{ref1,
title="Health care workers' experiences of aggression",
journal="Archives of psychiatric nursing",
year="2017",
author="Kerr, Katelyn and Oram, Joanne and Tinson, Helen and Shum, David",
volume="31",
number="5",
pages="457-462",
abstract="PRIMARY OBJECTIVE: To identify the prevalence of patient aggression against health care workers, the consequences and coping mechanisms. <br><br>DESIGN: Retrospective cross-sectional design. SUBJECTS: 50 participants comprised 37 nurses, 1 ward staff, 12 allied health staff employed in two brain injury wards with experience ranging from 3months to 34years. SETTING: Neurosciences and Brain Injury Rehabilitation wards of a metropolitan tertiary hospital in Brisbane. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Researcher designed self-report questionnaire. <br><br>RESULTS: 98% of respondents had experienced aggression during their health care careers with an average of 143.93 events. Physical injuries had been sustained by 40% of staff, psychological injury by 82%, but only 12% sought treatment. Verbal aggression related to receiving a psychological injury (r=0.305, p<0.05). Experiencing one type of aggression made it more likely the person would also experience the other types of aggression. Verbal aggression was correlated with physical aggression (r=0.429, p<0.01) and non-verbal aggression (r=0.286, p<0.05), and physical aggression was correlated with non-verbal aggression (r=0.333, p<0.05). The majority of staff used informal debriefing with others as their main coping strategy which was considered effective. <br><br>CONCLUSIONS: Patient aggression is prevalent and of serious concern for staff working in hospital settings.<br><br>Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0883-9417",
doi="10.1016/j.apnu.2017.06.011",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.apnu.2017.06.011"
}