ASSESSMENT AND PREVENTION

"The Effects of an Education Program on Violence in the Emergency Department"
(2002) Annals of Emergency Medicine
The prevention and management of aggressive behavior program is an education program that provides healthcare workers with the necessary skills to assess and prevent violent behavior. After implementing the program, one large tertiary institution experienced a decline in the number of violent events experienced by the emergency department staff.

"Countering Workplace Aggression An Urban Tertiary Care Institutional Exemplar"
(2007) Nursing Administration Quarterly
Formation of an employee safety team and workplace violence committees can help facilitate programs aimed at employee safety. In addition, education on Crisis Prevention Institution techniques can assist healthcare workers manage violence in the health care environment.

"Use of a Violence Risk Assessment tool in an Acute Care Hospital: Effectiveness in Identifying Violent Patient" (2006) AAOHN
Utilizing a violence risk assessment tool in conjunction with an alert system can be used to help identify a potentially violent patient. Identifying potentially violent patients allows the health care team to intervene prior to the onset of the violence.

"Workplace Violence Prevention Programs in Hospital ED’s"
(2007) Journal of Occupational Environmental Medicine
Emergency departments from California and New Jersey were surveyed to compare existing programs on violence prevention. Gaps identified include insufficient time spent in educational programs, not enough focus on physician education, and lack of education on employee on employee and employee on patient violence.

"Stopping ED Violence Before it Happens"
(2006) Hospital and Health Networks The article provides an overview of emergency department violence and lists five starting points toward providing a safer workplace and decreasing violence in the emergency department. The value of behavior training in prevention of emergency department violence is also discussed.

"Tension in the Waiting Room – 86% of ED Nurses Report Recent Violence: Crowded Waiting Rooms ‘Bring out the Worst’ in Patients"
(2007) AHC Media LLC/ED Nursing
Overcrowded ED waiting room creates tension, which can trigger the occurrence of violent incidents. Suggested methods to reduce tension in ED waiting room are: keeping the patients/family informed and including them in the plan of care; flagging the patients with aggressive behavior; and complying with simple request of patients.