De-escalating Techniques in Reducing Workplace Violence in Psychiatric Patients

Among all healthcare practitioners, registered nurses (RNs) are exposed disproportionately to threatening and violent situations in psychiatric settings, owing to their role in last-mile delivery of care. Against this light, understanding patient’s aggressive behavior and designing coping mechanisms is critical to promoting workplace safety. Otherwise, caregivers and patients are vulnerable to serious injuries and maltreatment. Upskilling and training nurses in verbal and non-verbal de-escalation techniques helps redirect patients to a calm personal space. Additionally, it reduces the overreliance on coercive containment measures anchored on prevailing stereotypes that patients with intellectual disabilities (ID) are violent, hostile, and dangerous. A working environment influenced by fear, violence, hostility, or rage yields poor patient outcomes. The proposed psychosocial interventions in behavioral unit 631 and medical/surgical unit 541 achieved non-confrontational social relationships with positive patient outcomes and an improved working environment.

Description of the Problem

Whereas workplace violence is an aggressive epidemic across the healthcare sector, registered nurses in psychiatric settings are extensively predisposed to the aggressive behavior of mentally ill patients. Itzhaki et al. (2018) elaborate on the nature of violent behavior from bullying, physical aggression, and sexual assaults. Their report clarifies that approximately fifty percent of violent behavior affects registered nurses. Dawood (2013) warns that aggressive and violent tendencies constitute to an escalating environmental crisis in psychiatric care. Often, these behaviors cause negative psychological and emotional well-being to caregivers. In worst- case scenarios, nurses and patients incur serious injuries. Collectively, the status quo is a leading cause of workplace burnout and low retention rates due to stress and low morale (Dawood,

2013). As psychiatric departments become the hotbed for workplace violence, there is urgency for change......... Continue