Aggression on haemodialysis units : a mixed method study
BACKGROUND: Aggression on haemodialysis units is a growing problem internationally that has received little research attention to date. Aggressive behaviour by patients or their relatives can compromise the safety and well-being of staff and other patients sharing a haemodialysis session. OBJECTIVES: The objectives of the study were twofold: First, to identify the prevalance and nature of aggression on haemodialysis units; and second, to investigate factors that contribute to aggressive behaviour on haemodialysis units. DESIGN AND METHODS: A cross-sectional, sequential mixed method research design was adopted, with two research methods utilised. Incidents of aggressive behaviour were recorded over a 12-month period, using a renal version of the Staff Observation Aggression Scale. Six months after the incident data collection had commenced, semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with 29 multidisciplinary members of staff. RESULTS: Over 12 months, 74 aggressive incidents were recorded. The majority of incidents involved verbal aggression, and the perpetrators were a minority of patients, relatives and staff. Two patients were responsible for 38% of all incidents; both patients had mental health problems. Distinct temporal patterns to the aggressive behaviour were observed according to the day of the week and time of day. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates that aggression is a significant problem on haemodialysis units, with verbal aggression most prevalent. The temporal patterns to aggression observed are related to the uniqueness of the haemodialysis setting, with a distinctly different treatment environment compared with other healthcare settings.
Item Type | Article |
---|---|
Additional information | This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Julia Jones, Henk Nijman, Jamie Ross, Neil Ashman, and Patrick Callaghan, ‘AGGRESSION ON HAEMODIALYSIS UNITS: A MIXED METHOD STUDY’, Journal of Renal Care, Vol. 40 (3): 180-193, September 2014, which has been published in final form at https://doi.org/10.1111/jorc.12068 . This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Self-Archiving. |
Keywords | adult, aggression, attitude of health personnel, cooperative behavior, cross-sectional studies, female, hemodialysis units, hospital, humans, interdisciplinary communication, interview, psychological, kidney failure, chronic, london, male, mentally ill persons, middle aged, nurse-patient relations, patient satisfaction, professional-family relations, qualitative research, renal dialysis, safety management, journal article, research support, non-u.s. gov't |
Date Deposited | 15 May 2025 13:28 |
Last Modified | 04 Jun 2025 17:02 |
-
picture_as_pdf - Accepted_Manuscript.pdf
-
subject - Submitted Version