INCIDENCE AND MANAGEMENT OF AGGRESSION BY HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS IN FEDERAL NEURO-PSYCHIATRIC HOSPITAL, CALABAR

Abstract

Aggressive management is one of the cardinal roles of psychiatric mental healthcare providers. This study aimed at reporting incidence and management of patients’ aggressive behaviors within January to December, 2021 in Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital, Calabar. An ecto-facto research design was used to conduct the study. Five research questions were formulated to guide the study. The population of study was Healthcare providers which involved Nurses, Doctors, Social workers, Health Assistants and Emergency Prepared Unit of the facility. Purposive sampling technique was used to study the 461 mental healthcare providers with observational techniques. A standard AIS tool was used as instrument to illicit how aggressive incidents were observed and managed. Obtained data were analyzed with descriptive statistics using frequencies, percentages, tables, charts and graphs. Findings revealed that Ward 1 had the highest incidents of aggression followed by Wards 3 & 4; that the highest aggression incidence occurs in the morning followed by night shifts; that Nurses use their verbal and physical intervention most in managing incidents; that the most triggering factor of aggression is patients’ poor mental state and effective management results in prevention of aggressive incidence to other patients, protection of the young, weak and aged patients from harm, prevention of patients’ escape and protection of hospital properties from destruction among others. This study implies that nurses who are closest to the patient deliver verbal and physical interventions most times before the arrival of the doctor on call. It was therefore recommended among other things that more male psychiatric nurses should be employed and psychiatric nurses should be placed on special allowances like call duty allowance, hazard allowance and others to motivate them do their work.