De-escalating violence in healthcare : strategies to reduce emotional tension and aggression

Violent incidents are more than four times as likely to occur in healthcare settings than in other professional workplaces, taking a toll on healthcare workers and spurring providers and policymakers to solve the increasing impact of violence. The most beneficial method of preventing healthcare violence is de-escalation using therapeutic communication and interventions to defuse emotional tension. In __De-Escalating Violence in Healthcare__, author S. E. McKnight provides tools and techniques to help nurses and other healthcare professionals manage aggressive behavior and foster a safer workplace. "This book is a comprehensive guidebook of therapeutic de-escalation techniques for nurses and other healthcare professionals to improve safety in healthcare facilities. Readers will explore the concepts of aggression (including risk factors), de-escalation, and therapeutic communication. They will also learn how to perform mental status assessments, manage and even prevent aggressive behavior, and practice conflict resolution, and--when faced with individuals with depressive disorders, suicidal ideation, and/or self-injurious behavior (SIB)--engage in crisis intervention. Specific therapeutic interventions for difficult behavioral issues associated with schizophrenia, dementia, bipolar disorder, cognitive impairment, anxiety and panic disorders are also covered, as are stress-management techniques to help patients cope, tips for creating a caring and healing environment to stop violence before it starts, and a framework for building a healthcare violence prevention program. Nursing students and healthcare professionals of all educational levels will find this book to be immensely valuable. De-escalation is one of the most valuable skills a healthcare worker can possess. Indeed, all healthcare workers need this vital skill to help ensure their safety in the healthcare environment. It's not uncommon for healthcare professionals to encounter an agitated or aggressive person. How that healthcare worker responds will dictate whether the situation is defused or escalated--perhaps even resulting in physical violence. The goal of this book is to ensure the result is the former--to prevent healthcare violence, and to foster a safe healthcare workplace that benefits all and promotes peace and safety for everyone"-- Provided by publisher Violent incidents are more than four times as likely to occur in healthcare settings than in other professional workplaces, taking a toll on healthcare workers and spurring providers and policymakers to solve the increasing impact of violence. The most beneficial method of preventing healthcare violence is de-escalation—using therapeutic communication and interventions to defuse emotional tension. In De-Escalating Violence in Healthcare, author S. E. McKnight provides tools and techniques to help nurses and other healthcare professionals manage aggressive behavior and foster a safer workplace. Readers will learn to: •Understand the variables, risk factors, and triggers of aggression and violence •Assess mental health status and practice conflict resolution and crisis intervention •Identify and manage difficult behavioral issues associated with schizophrenia, dementia, bipolar disorder, anxiety, and other conditions •Foster a caring and healing environment to reduce violence •Build a healthcare violence prevention program Dedication Acknowledgments About the Author Table of Contents Introduction 1 De-Escalation for Holistic Wellness 2 Variables and Risk Factors for Aggression 3 Assessing an Escalating Situation for Early Intervention 4 De-Escalation Techniques 5 Therapeutic Communication for De-Escalation 6 Stress-Management Techniques 7 Conflict Resolution 8 Crisis Intervention 9 Managing Mental Health Emergencies 10 Performing a Mental Status Assessment 11 De-Escalation of Patients With Mental Disorders 12 De-Escalation of Patients Exhibiting Non-Suicidal Self-Injury (NSSI) Behavior 13 De-Escalation of Patients With Dementia 14 De-Escalation of Patients With Delirium 15 De-Escalation of “Difficult” Patients 16 De-Escalation of Angry Patients 17 Staying Safe During De-Escalation 18 After the Incident 19 Creating a Calming, Caring, and Healing Healthcare Environment 20 Developing a Healthcare Violence-Prevention Plan Index