Learning from incidents of violence in health care. An investigation of ‘Case Reports’ as a basis for staff development and organisational change

Abstract

How can health care staff be helped by learning about aggression and violence in health care settings. This is a report of how ‘Case Reports’ were used as a basis for staff development through educational intervention and organisational change. The project was carried out in two stages. Firstly, ‘Case Reports’ were collected to document and illuminate the experiences of health care staff, and these reports were used as a basis for teaching and learning. Secondly, opportunities were provided for health care staff to review existing policies and guidelines relevant to aggression and violence in health care settings. The views of 253 health care staff from five Health Authorities were explored. Health care staff reported 1) experiencing verbal abuse, hostility, actual contact violence, fears and anxieties during work; 2) that although they were exposed to aggression and/or actual contact violence, training was sparse or non-existent; 3) that policies and guidelines where they existed were out of date and were not relevant to the variety of health care settings in which they worked; and 4) that their skills in this area could be improved through training, with particular attention to listening skills, facilitation skills, verbal and non-verbal communication and assertion skills.