Violence in A&E: the role of training and self-efficacy

AIM: To determine the amount of violence experienced by a sample of A&E staff during a three-month period, and to explore the effect of aggression management training and exposure to violence on their self-efficacy in dealing with aggressive patients. METHOD: A small-scale questionnaire survey was undertaken of 130 staff. RESULTS: 76 (58 per cent) responded. The findings suggested that verbal and physical violence were a common occurrence. The type and amount of aggression management training were variable. Greater self-efficacy in managing aggressive behaviour was observed in higher grades of staff, and in staff who had experienced higher levels of verbal aggression. CONCLUSION: Violence against nurses was widely reported. Their aggression management training did not appear to equip them with the skills required to manage this behaviour.