Ray Messitt
The aim of this study was to investigate of Strategies for Crisis Intervention and Prevention (SCIP) training programme works for all staff members the National Rehabilitation Hospital (NRH). The SCIP training programme is an initiative training course for the management of challenging behaviour introduced recently to the NRH.
The principal method of capturing information was by issuing a questionnaire to those staff members who had completed the SCIP training. It yielded a 53% rate.
The survey shows that the majority of respondents are sensitive to the emotional needs of patients in their care and the majority of staff members in the NRH have acquired the technical skills necessary to manage violent and aggressive behaviour. The importance of training in the prevention and management of violence and aggression is crucial in the NRH, however opinion can vary on whether training should include physical self-protection or not. The most frequently reported feelings following a violent incidence were fear followed by anger. 81% of the respondents indicated that they were aware of the support systems in the NRH.
There are some differences in the emotional responses among the various groups of staff in relation to both physical and verbal abuse. The majority of the respondents cited ‘intimidation’ as the most frequent emotional response. There are a lot of incidences of verbal abuse that go unreported within the hospital. For instance 33% of the Allied Health Professionals did not report incidences of verbal abuse and 77% of the Allied Health Professionals indicated that they had not filled in the incidence forms after being subjected to verbal abuse.
Final Report presented to the NRH Ethics Committee – March 2006