AN EVALUATION OF STAFF TRAINING IN PSYCHOLOGICAL TECHNIQUES FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF PATIENT AGGRESSION

Training for staff working with violent patients is frequently recomme nded, sometimes implemented, but rarely objectively evaluated. In this longitudinal study 47 nurses attending a training day to learn strate gies for coping with violent psychiatric patients were compared with 1 08 non-attending control group subjects. The rate of assaults on staff on wards taking part in the study was 31% lower after implementation of the training and wards sending a majority of staff to the training experienced a particularly significant reduction in assaults. The effe ctiveness of this 1-day training package is discussed.