Date of Award

2019

Document Type

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

Degree Name

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

Department

Nursing

Committee Chair

Angela Hollingsworth

Committee Member

Celeste M. Johnson

Subject(s)

Nurses--Violence against--Prevention, Violence in the workplace--Prevention, Risk assessment

Abstract

Background: Healthcare employees face the daily trials of behavioral disturbances among patients. Lack of staff training in managing escalating assaultive behaviors and lack of tools to identify violent patients have been identified outside psychiatry units. Objective. The purpose of this DNP project was to evaluate the effectiveness of the Aggressive Behavior Risk Assessment Tool (ABRAT) and a brief module training (BMT) in preventing workplace violence (WPV) and improving safety. Methods. A convenience sampling of 28 registered nurses from two medical units met the sampling criteria. The design of the project utilized a pre-post-test design using the 10-item Confidence in Coping with Aggression Tool. Results. Pre-test and post-test Cronbach’s alpha for this instrument is .939 and .959 respectively. A paired t-test analysis resulted in an increase in the mean score difference by 8.04 with p-value < .05. Cohen’s d= .48. There was a significant improvement in overall confidence three months after the ABRAT and BMT. Behavioral Emergency Response Team (BERT) activations and use of physical restraints decreased. Discussion. Implementation of ABRAT and BMT have a positive effect on workplace violence prevention and safety improvement. Implications for Practice. Tools such as ABRAT and BMT are valuable in campaign against WPV. The project’s sustainability depends on leadership support aligned with continued multidisciplinary collaboration.

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