AGGRESSION MANAGEMENT CURRICULUM FOR ACUTE, NON-PSYCHIATRIC MEDICAL UNITS WITHIN A GENERAL HOSPITAL

ABSTRACT CURRICULUM - AGGRESSION MANAGEMENT WITHIN ACUTE MEDICAL HOSPITAL UNITS Patty Inacker LCSW, MBA Dissertation Chair: Katherine C. Ledwith, DSW, LCSW Workplace violence in acute hospitals is a significant issue for organizations and for the personal well-being of employees in high risk settings. Evidence clearly identifies the potential threats, but there is limited understanding of the management of aggression on acute medical units. Nursing staff, physicians, social work and ancillary staff are ill equipped to de-escalate a patient and/or effectively protect themselves and others from harm. Hospitals must develop and incorporate effective educational strategies that prepare employees to manage this increasing epidemic of violence. With a focus on prevention, this paper introduces a comprehensive curriculum that can meet the needs of these employees. The CAMPS (Cognitions, Actions, Medical, Psychological, and Stressors) Aggression Management tool is established within an overall didactic program. The curriculum and the CAMPS tool development were informed by the following: a thorough review of aggression management literature, principles of Transformational Learning Theory, exploration of interactive effects of personal and environmental determinates of behaviors, integration of organizational leverage points and intermediaries for health promotion within organizations, and the author’s career experience in healthcare. This module-based program, designed for multidisciplinary teams, uses evidence-based, trauma informed skill development with goals of building confidence, team cohesion and increased effectiveness. The curriculum will equip hospital staff with strategies to realize, recognize, respond, and safely diffuse aggressive behavior. It answers the call for training to address agitated patients and inform safety for staff and patients across all hospital settings.