Characteristics of staff victims of psychiatric patient assaults: updated review of findings, 1995-2001.

This paper examines the peer-reviewed, databased journal articles on the characteristics of staff victims of psychiatric patient assaults from 1995 to 2001. These studies partially confirm earlier findings in that patient assaults on staff victims continue across all disciplines. Unlike findings in earlier reviews, this review found that psychiatric residents and older, more experienced nurses were at highest risk for violence. Since there is little empirical data on staff victims of assaults by Alzheimer's and other dementia patients, this paper will explore the implications of the present findings for long-term care settings.