Exploring staff experiences and perceptions of patient-perpetrated violence in hospital settings: A qualitative study.

AIMS: To explore hospital staff experiences and perceptions of patient-perpetrated violence. DESIGN: Descriptive qualitative study. METHODS: Twelve semi-structured interviews (June-August 2022) were held with a diverse sample of hospital nurses, doctors, allied health professionals, security and a non-clinical manager. The framework approach was used to organise and analyse data, using Attribution Theory as a theoretical lens. RESULTS: Three themes were identified: violence as (un)predictable, violence as (un)preventable and the cumulative toll of violence. In making sense of why patients become violent, participants described different 'types' of aggressive patients and variably attributed behaviours to situation, disposition or a combination of both. Regardless of perceived causal factors, staff overwhelmingly appeared to view violence as predictable. Participants also reflected on the wider structural problems underpinning violence, frequently alluding to their sense of relative powerlessness to initiate change. The cumulative toll of violence was a common thread, with staff describing their acquisition of 'resilience' and reflecting on its role in their responses to escalating situations. CONCLUSIONS: Many hospital staff are resigned to the inevitability of violence. The concept of staff 'resilience' following violence is not unproblematic, having the potential to serve as a guise for acceptance and as an additional variable for which staff are held accountable. When designing strategies, organisations should ensure that accountability for violence reduction is distributed across multiple levels. This study makes a novel contribution by exploring the perspectives of multiple staff groups working across diverse hospital settings, and adds to a sparse literature on this subject in the UK. IMPLICATIONS FOR THE PROFESSION: Efforts to address violence against healthcare staff need to be power-conscious, ensuring that accountability is distributed across multiple levels. REPORTING METHOD: This study is reported in line with the Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Studies (COREQ). PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: No patient or public contribution.

A Systematic Review of Violence Risk Assessment Tools Currently Used in Emergency Care Settings.

INTRODUCTION: Violence risk assessment is commonplace in mental health settings and is gradually being used in emergency care. The aim of this review was to explore the efficacy of undertaking violence risk assessment in reducing patient violence and to identify which tool(s), if any, are best placed to do so. METHODS: CINAHL, Embase, Medline, and Web of Science database searches were supplemented with a search of Google Scholar. Risk of bias assessments were made for intervention studies, and the quality of tool development/testing studies was assessed against scale development criteria. Narrative synthesis was undertaken. RESULTS: Eight studies were included. Three existing violence risk assessment tools featured across the studies, all of which were developed for use with mental health patients. Three newly developed tools were developed for emergency care, and 1 additional tool was an adaptation of an extant tool. Where tested, the tools demonstrated that they were able to predict patient violence, but did not reduce restraint use. The quality issues of the studies are a significant limitation and highlight the need for additional research in this area. DISCUSSION: There is a paucity of high-quality evidence evaluating the psychometric properties of violence risk assessment tools currently used along the emergency care pathway. Multiple tools exist, and they could have a role in reducing violence in emergency care. However, the limited testing of their psychometric properties, acceptability, feasibility, and usability in emergency care means that it is not possible to favor one tool over another until further research is conducted.

School nursing: New ways of working with children and young people during the Covid-19 pandemic: A scoping review.

AIM: To examine how school nurse practice evolved as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. DESIGN: A scoping review of international literature, conducted and reported in line with Arksey and O'Malley's (2005) framework. DATA SOURCES: Searches were conducted in September 2021. Ten databases were searched: The British Nursing Database, CINAHL, Cochrane Library, Consumer Health Database, Health and Medicine, Nursing and Allied Health, Public Health, PsycINFO, PubMed and Web of Science. Relevant grey literature was identified through hand searching. REVIEW METHODS: A minimum of three reviewers independently screened articles and two reviewers independently undertook data extraction, with any decisions made collaboratively with the wider team. Much of the literature was not empirical work and so it was not possible to apply a traditional quality appraisal framework. RESULTS: Searches identified 554 papers (after deduplication) which were screened against title and abstract. Following the full-text review, 38 articles underwent data extraction and analysis. The review findings highlighted that school nurses adapted their practice to ensure they were able to continue providing their formal and informal school health offer to children, young people and their families and continued working closely with the multidisciplinary team. In addition, the expanded public health role generated by Covid-19 for school nurses' work was considerable, multi-layered and added to their routine workload. School nurses displayed resilience, adaptability and creativity in their response to delivering services during Covid-19. CONCLUSION: School nurses took on a leading public health role during the Covid-19 pandemic. Some developments and practices were highlighted as beneficial to continue beyond the pandemic. However, formal evaluation is needed to identify which practices may merit integration into routine practice. Continued investment in staff and infrastructure will be essential to ensuring school nurses continue to expand their practice and influence as public health experts.

School Nurse Perspectives of Working with Children and Young People in the United Kingdom during the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Online Survey Study.

School nurses are public health specialists with an integral role in the safeguarding of children and young people. This study gathered information about school nurses' approaches to overcome practice restrictions as a result of COVID-19. A cross-sectional survey was administered to school nurses across the United Kingdom. Quantitative data were analysed descriptively. Qualitative data (free-text responses to open-ended questions) were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. Seventy-eight participant responses were included in the analysis. Quantitative data highlighted increased workloads; decreased contact with service users; and difficulties in identifying safeguarding needs and working with known vulnerable children. Through qualitative data analysis, five themes were identified: a move from preventive to reactive school nursing; professional challenges of safeguarding in the digital context; the changing nature of inter-professional working; an increasing workload; and reduced visibility and representation of the child. The findings call for advocacy by policymakers and professional organisations representing school nurses to enable this professional group to lead in the evolving public health landscape; for commissioning that recognises the school nurse as a specialist public health practitioner; and for sufficient numbers of school nurses to respond to the emergent and ongoing health needs of children and young people.

Which Violence Against Women Educational Strategies Are Effective for Prequalifying Health-Care Students?: A Systematic Review.

Gender-based violence (GBV) is a global public health issue which disproportionately affects women. Health-care providers have an important role in recognizing and addressing GBV in practice, yet research suggests that the issue remains underrecognized, with many qualified professionals reporting lack of confidence and a sense of unpreparedness. Prequalifying GBV educational strategies are inconsistent in both quantity and quality worldwide, and to date, there has been no comprehensive review of those programs' effectiveness. This internationally focused literature review aimed to identify best educational practices in GBV for prequalifying health-care students. A systematic search of six databases yielded 17 studies meeting the inclusion criteria, with all studies examining one or more educational intervention. Quality appraisal was undertaken and data were tabulated to capture relevant information. Thematic findings suggest that interactive educational strategies yield better results than didactic approaches. Similarly, interventions with a focus on practical application of learning are generally preferred over strictly theoretical approaches. Courses of longer duration seem to be more effective in instilling attitudinal changes. Lastly, gendered differences were noted in a number of studies, with female students consistently outperforming males. However, more research is needed before conclusions can be drawn about the effectiveness of single- versus mixed-gender audiences. This review makes a useful contribution to the literature of health education, supporting many findings from previous studies and identifying knowledge gaps to be explored in future research. There are implications for both educators and practitioners in creating discernible change for women in their care.

The state of mixed methods research in nursing: A focused mapping review and synthesis.

AIMS: To consider the scope and quality of mixed methods research in nursing. DESIGN: Focused mapping review and synthesis (FMRS). DATA SOURCES: Five purposively selected journals: International Journal of Nursing Studies, Journal of Nursing Scholarship, Journal of Advanced Nursing, Worldviews on Evidence-Based Nursing, and Journal of Mixed Methods Research. REVIEW METHODS: In the target journals, titles and abstracts from papers published between 2015-2018 were searched for the words or derivative words 'mixed methods'. Additional keyword searches were undertaken using each journal's search tool. We included studies that investigated nursing and reported to use a mixed methods approach. Articles that met the inclusion criteria were read in full and information was extracted onto a predetermined pro forma. Findings across journals were then synthesized to illustrate the current state of mixed methods research in nursing. RESULTS: We located 34 articles that reported on mixed methods research, conducted across 18 countries. Articles differed significantly both within and across journals in terms of conformity to a mixed methods approach. We assessed the studies for the quality of their reporting as regard the use of mixed methods. Nineteen studies were rated as satisfactory or good, with 15 rated as poorly described. Primarily, a poor rating was due to the absence of stating an underpinning methodological approach to the study and/or limited detail of a crucial integration phase. CONCLUSIONS: Our FMRS revealed a paucity of published mixed methods research in the journals selected. When they are published, there are limitations in the detail given to the underpinning methodological approach and theoretical explanation.

A qualitative exploration of 'thrivership' among women who have experienced domestic violence and abuse: Development of a new model.

BACKGROUND: Domestic violence and abuse (DVA) is a serious public health issue, threatening the health of individuals the world over. Whilst DVA can be experienced by both men and women, the majority is still experienced by women; around 30% of women worldwide who have been in a relationship report that they have experienced violence at the hands of their partner, and every week in England and Wales two women are killed by their current or ex-partner. The purpose of this study was to explore the concept of thrivership with women who have experienced DVA, to contribute to our understandings of what constitutes 'thriving' post-abuse, and how women affected can move from surviving to thriving. METHODS: Thirty-seven women took part in this qualitative study which consisted of six focus groups and four in-depth interviews undertaken in one region of the UK in 2018. Data were analysed using a thematic analysis approach. Initial findings were reported back to a group of participants to invite respondent validation and ensure co-production of data. RESULTS: The process of 'thrivership' - moving from surviving to thriving after DVA - is a fluid, non-linear journey of self-discovery featuring three 'stages' of victim, survivor, and thriver. Thriving after DVA is characterised by a positive outlook and looking to the future, improved health and well-being, a reclamation of the self, and a new social network. Crucial to ensuring 'thrivership' are three key components that we propose as the 'Thrivership Model', all of which are underpinned by education and awareness building at different levels: (1) Provision of Safety, (2) Sharing the Story, (3) Social Response. CONCLUSIONS: The study findings provide a new view of thriving post-abuse by women who have lived through it. The proposed Thrivership Model has been developed to illustrate what is required from DVA-services and public health practitioners for the thrivership process to take place, so that more women may be supported towards 'thriving' after abuse.