De-escalation Technique Education: The Effect on Student Nurse Perceived Self-Confidence in Coping with Patient Aggression

Abstract

Workplace violence, in the form of patient-to-nurse assault, occurs in practically all healthcare environments. Patient aggression can increase nurse stress, fear, and create a hostile work environment. Hostile work environments can force nurses to leave the field of nursing prematurely. Implementing de-escalation technique education into the curriculum of junior and senior pre-licensure BSN students is an evidence-based and cost-effective approach to foster a culture of safety. Method: This pre and post-test quasi-experimental designed research project used the Clinician Confidence in Coping with Patient Aggression questionnaire developed by Michael Thackrey (1988) to assess the perceived self-confidence of nursing students before and after receiving de-escalation technique education. Results: There were 59 junior and senior level BSN students who participated in the research project. The majority of the participants were female (n=56, 94.9%), 18-24 years of age (n=34, 57.6%), and in their junior year of the BSN program (n=33, 55.9%). Statistical analysis revealed an increase in perceived self-confidence in coping with patient aggression after completing the de-escalation technique education (p=.000). Conclusion: Educating pre-licensure nursing students how to effectively defuse an escalating patient increases their perceived self-confidence when coping with patient aggression. Providing future nurses with the tools and concepts to create a safer work environment will increase the likelihood of these nurses remaining in the field of nursing until retirement.