Graduation Year
2024
Degree Type
Open Access Capstone
Document Type
Capstone
Degree Name
Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)
Department
Baccalaureate and Graduate Nursing
Department Affiliation
Baccalaureate and Graduate Nursing
Department Affiliation
Baccalaureate and Graduate Nursing
Department Affiliation
Baccalaureate and Graduate Nursing
Abstract
The most common form of Workplace Violence (WPV) in the United States (US) is patients' aggressive behaviors toward healthcare professionals, predominantly affecting nursing staff. This form of workplace violence can be mitigated by equipping nursing staff with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to de-escalate behavioral emergencies in acute care settings. Bowers’ Safewards de-escalation model was selected as the theoretical framework for this Quality Improvement (QI) project. The QI project aimed to increase nurses’ confidence in participation in de-escalation interventions, including the appropriate activation of a Behavioral Emergency Response Team (BERT) by medical-surgical nurses working at a government hospital in the US Mid-Atlantic region. The intervention was an educational module focused on the Safewards model, proactive assessment of patient's risk factors for aggression and violence, the facility BERT process, and simulation activities. Thackrey’s (1987) Clinical Confidence in Coping with Patient Aggression (CCCPA) and an 11-point Likert survey question measured participants’ preand post-training confidence levels. A convenient sample (N=25) of Registered Nurses (RN) working in the facility’s medical-surgical unit was selected, and data collected were analyzed using paired t-tests. The results showed a statistically significant increase (M=23, SD=12.04, t (24) =9.55, p < .001) in participants’ CCCPA scores from the pre- to post-intervention, indicating increased nurses’ confidence in participating in de-escalation interventions. Similarly, participants' self-reported confidence in participating in the facility BERT process increased significantly (M=2.96, SD=1.43, t (24) = 10.36, p < .001) by 44% post-intervention, showing the positive impact of the training module on nurses’ confidence levels.
Recommended Citation
Toure, Amara, "Behavioral Emergency Response Team: Improving Medical-Surgical Nurses' Confidence and Participation in De-escalation Interventions" (2024). Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects. 111.
https://encompass.eku.edu/dnpcapstones/111
