Relationships between aggression management training, perceived self-efficacy and rural general hospital nurses' experiences of patient aggression.

Relationships between nurses' experiences of patient aggression in the previous three months, participation in aggression management training in the previous five years and perceived self-efficacy in dealing with patient aggression are reported. Over 76 per cent of general hospital nurses employed by a rural Area Health Service in New South Wales, Australia experienced patient aggression within a three-month period. Registered Nurses and Midwifes were most affected, with over 83 per cent experiencing recent patient aggression. Most of this aggression was in the form of verbal abuse. Almost 40 per cent of nurses had not participated in aggression management training or updates in the previous five years. Approximately 70 per cent of survey respondents reported their perceived self-efficacy in dealing with patient aggression in the low to medium-high range. No significant association was detected between participation in aggression management training in the previous five years and the frequency of patient aggression experienced in the previous three months. Significant though very weak associations were detected between participation in aggression management training, the proportion of patient aggression experienced as verbal abuse and perceived self-efficacy in dealing with patient aggression. The findings of this and other studies highlight the need for more rigorous approaches to evaluating the effectiveness of aggression management training and undertaking patient aggression management research more broadly.