Today, 10:41 am
What I've seen introduced, in recent years, is the use of 'Health & Security Assistants' ( HASA )in Mental Health Inpatient Units.
These guys have a NSW Security Licence ( with the Cert.II level course as a minimum ). They also go through an 'intro to Mental Health' course at Area Health Service level, and an 'aggression management' course.
The HASAs are usually out in 'the yard', interacting with, and observing the patients.
Of course, there are nurses out in the yard occasionally as well, but not all the time.
I think someone, somewhere, must have done a study, that shows, that when there is a 'high' level of staff : patient interaction / observation in common areas, like the courtyard, the rate of patient aggression decreases.
Those of you, who have had incidents of assault / violence in your unit, think of the 'scene'..... how much staff supervision was present at the time of the event? Would a higher level of supervision have prevented the event?
The HASAs don't need to 'write notes', they pass information onto nursing staff.
With HASAs on the unit, plus 'control' policies, such as 'everyone out of the dorms' by 0800hrs. the incidents of violence decrease.
Of course, you need experienced RNs / ENs to pick up on the precursors to aggression, and get the right medication into the patient as well.
The HASAs are apart of the 'team', that goes to making a 'safer' work environment.
regards,
