A study of incidents of violence towards staff by patients in an NHS Trust hospital.

The aim of the study was to survey the degree and the extent of violence towards nursing staff by patients within a hospital environment. The information gathered will form a basis for future reference once the care packages are developed in the community. The study investigated the number of recorded incidents of aggression towards nursing staff by patients (n = 164) in an NHS Trust hospital for one year (October 1993-September 1994). The degree of recorded incidents of aggression was analysed using the Overt Aggression Scale. The results showed that the degree of aggression was mostly moderate to mild and occurred mostly in the Learning Disability Unit. Male staff were more involved in actual recorded incidents than expected in the given population. Health care assistants were more likely to be involved in aggressive incidents than any other grade of staff. There were significant findings in the time and location of the recorded aggressive incidents. The study, therefore, highlights the need to report and record incidents, the need for ongoing training, skillful management of resources and the recognition of environmental factors that can lead to patients' violence and aggression towards nursing staff.