The effect of an educational intervention package about aggressive behaviour directed at the nursing staff on a continuing care psychogeriatric ward.
BACKGROUND
Levels of aggressive behaviour on continuing care wards are high. Various staffing factors, potentially amenable to improvement by training, are important in reducing and preventing aggressive behaviour.


METHODS
The efficacy of an educational package, directed at the nursing staff, in reducing aggressive behaviour on a psychogeriatric continuing care ward was prospectively evaluated over an 18-week period. The package was administered during the middle 6-week period. Aggressive behaviour was measured using the RAGE and SOAS scales.


RESULTS
Aggressive behaviour on both these scales was reduced after the educational package, and the educational intervention package may explain this reduction.


CONCLUSIONS
The educational package may have genuinely reduced aggressive behaviour or improved the nursing staffs tolerance and reporting threshold for aggressive behaviour. Studies with improved methodology in several different settings are suggested.
Shah
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Charing Cross & Westminster Medical School, London, UK. a.shah@cxwms.ac.uk
De
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D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged / Q000523:psychology*; D000374:Aggression; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D003266:Continuity of Patient Care; D005260:Female; D005852:Geriatric Psychiatry / Q000193:education*; D006769:Hospitals, General; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009723:Nurse-Patient Relations; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital / Q000193:education*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011567:Psychiatric Department, Hospital; D014754:Violence / Q000517:prevention & control*