Citation

Tan MF, Lopez V, Cleary M. Nurs. Health Sci. 2015; 17(3): 307-312.

Affiliation

School of Nursing and Midwifery, University of Western Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2015, John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1111/nhs.12188

PMID

26031693

Abstract

In Singapore, anecdotal evidence suggests that nurses are concerned about managing aggressive incidents in the emergency department. In this study, registered nurses' perceptions of managing aggressive patients in an emergency department were explored. Ten registered nurses from the emergency department of an acute public hospital in Singapore were interviewed. Four overarching themes emerged from the thematic analysis: (i) impact of aggressive patients on nurses; (ii) nursing assessment of aggressive behaviors; (iii) nursing management of aggressive behaviors; and (iv) organizational support and responsiveness. Further research is required to better support nurses to deliver optimal care for aggressive patients and achieve positive and effective outcomes.

Language: en