Frequency of assault and severity of injury of psychiatric nurses in relation to the nurses' decision to restrain

Ethical standards and current law demand that acute care psychiatric patients be treated with respect, using the least restrictive interventions. Unfortunately, as restraint use has decreased, assault and injury of mental health care workers has increased. Violence against those working in acute care psychiatry is a serious global issue that needs further examination. This study provides current, in depth information about the nature, frequency and severity of assaults and injuries of psychiatric nurses. This study also examined assault and injury in relation to the nurse's decision to restrain. The findings of this study were compared with findings of an earlier study carried out by one of the authors (Moylan) prior to the institution of policies, which are more restrictive in the use of restraint. In a sample of 110 nurses from five institutions, 80% of the nurses were assaulted, 65% had been injured and 26% had been seriously injured. Injuries included fractures, eye injuries and permanent disability. The number and severity of injuries have increased significantly since the 1996 study. Nurses who had been injured decided to restrain later in the progression of aggression than those who had not been injured.