Health Care Workers' Experiences of Aggression.

PRIMARY OBJECTIVE: To identify the prevalence of patient aggression against health care workers, the consequences and coping mechanisms.

DESIGN: Retrospective cross-sectional design.

SUBJECTS: 50 participants comprised 37 nurses, 1 ward staff, 12 allied health staff employed in two brain injury wards with experience ranging from 3months to 34years.

SETTING: Neurosciences and Brain Injury Rehabilitation wards of a metropolitan tertiary hospital in Brisbane.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Researcher designed self-report questionnaire.

RESULTS: 98% of respondents had experienced aggression during their health care careers with an average of 143.93 events. Physical injuries had been sustained by 40% of staff, psychological injury by 82%, but only 12% sought treatment. Verbal aggression related to receiving a psychological injury (r=0.305, p<0.05). Experiencing one type of aggression made it more likely the person would also experience the other types of aggression. Verbal aggression was correlated with physical aggression (r=0.429, p<0.01) and non-verbal aggression (r=0.286, p<0.05), and physical aggression was correlated with non-verbal aggression (r=0.333, p<0.05). The majority of staff used informal debriefing with others as their main coping strategy which was considered effective.

CONCLUSIONS: Patient aggression is prevalent and of serious concern for staff working in hospital settings.