Date of Award

Summer 2023

Project Type

Thesis

College or School

CHHS

Department

Nursing

Program or Major

Direct Entry Masters of Nursing

Degree Name

Master of Science

First Advisor

Dr. Elizabeth Evans

Abstract

BACKGROUND: There continues to be an increase in workplace violence nationally in the healthcare setting which jeopardizes patient and staff safety. Liu et al. (2019) found about 59% of health care workers experience workplace violence. Kafle et al. (2022) emphasizes the link between workplace violence and increased levels of nurse burnout and therefore decreased job satisfaction.

LOCAL PROBLEM: The microsystem assessment revealed that there was no risk assessment tool to identifying early aggressive or violent patient behavior.

METHODS: The Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) framework was used for this quality improvement project to reduce workplace violence on this unit.

INTERVENTIONS:After completion of an informal pre-intervention survey, it was found staff believed current processes were not effective at reducing aggressive or violent patient behavior. The effectiveness of the BVC was studied using percentage of nurse adherence rates to BVC completion and number of code greys on the unit.

RESULTS: Prior to implementation of the BVC, the average number of code greys from months January through May were 10.2. Nurse adherence rate to completion of the BVC ranged from 5% to 10% through the four weeks of data collection. The number of code greys for the month of June on the Medical Oncology unit was five. A one sample t-test determined this decrease was insignificant (p=0.2098).

CONCLUSIONS:Increased education, awareness, and buy-in from nursing staff and key stakeholders on completion of the BVC is needed to consistently decrease violent and aggressive patient behavior.

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