title: The effect of a training course on nursing students' attitudes toward, perceptions of, and confidence in managing patient aggression.
abstract: Patient aggression is a problem in many health care settings, and nursing students are among the most vulnerable to experiencing such aggression. Training courses have been suggested to help nurses better manage patient aggression. Such courses can lead to changes in attitudes toward and perceptions of, as well as greater confidence in managing, aggression. In this quasi-experimental study, we investigated the effect of a training course on nursing students' attitudes toward, perceptions of, and confidence in managing patient aggression. Students in the intervention group demonstrated enhanced confidence but no change in attitude after the training course, while students in the control group remained stable on all measures. The short time frame of the study, the training course itself, and the instruments used for monitoring attitudes toward aggression are possible reasons for these results. We tentatively conclude that it is possible to enhance nursing students' perceived confidence in managing patient aggression without changing their fundamental views of it.
authors.affiliation: Research Unit, University of Applied Science, Fribourg, Switzerland. needham@bluewin.ch
authors.forename: Ian
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Needham
authors.forename: Christoph
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Abderhalden
authors.forename: Adelheid
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zeller
authors.forename: Theo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Dassen
authors.forename: Hans-Joachim
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Haug
authors.forename: Joachim E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Fischer
authors.forename: Rudolf J G
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Halfens
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D000374:Aggression / Q000523:psychology*; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002983:Clinical Competence / Q000592:standards*; D004508:Education, Nursing, Baccalaureate / Q000458:organization & administration*; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009723:Nurse-Patient Relations; D015402:Nursing Education Research; D015397:Program Evaluation; D020377:Self Efficacy; D013338:Students, Nursing / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013557:Switzerland