Degree of Anger During Anger-Generating Situations Among Psychiatric Staff Nurses: Association Between Nurses' Attitudes Toward Service Users' Aggression and Confidence in Intervening in Aggressive Situations.

Abstract

Some situations require psychiatric staff nurses to respond to service users' negativity or aggression. As a result, psychiatric staff nurses may experience anger. The current study examined how anger levels of psychiatric staff nurses triggered by anger-generating situations by service users affected nurses' confidence and attitudes. A questionnaire survey was administered among 386 psychiatric staff nurses. The questionnaire surveyed anger levels in anger-generating situations, aggressiveness, nurses' attitudes toward aggression, and self-efficacy of intervening in aggressive situations. Path analysis revealed differences between male and female nurses. Male nurses' anger in response to physical aggression was mild when they were confident in handling aggression. Furthermore, female nurses who had high confidence in intervening in an aggressive situation had low anger levels. Confidence in intervening in aggressive situations appeared to dissipate anger and ease nurses during aggressive interactions. [Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services, 56(9), 51-59.].