Date of Conferral

7-23-2025

Degree

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

School

Nursing

Advisor

Lilo Fink

Abstract

The aim of this staff educational project was to improve staff knowledge by educating healthcare staff on how to minimize patients’ aggressiveness and provide a safer, more therapeutic environment for patients and healthcare providers. Patients with mental health problems can exhibit violent behavior, posing threats to patient safety and the safety of healthcare workers. To address this practice gap, I conducted a literature review; 509 articles were identified and then narrowed to 23 articles specific to this topic. The project question for my study was: Does implementing an educational program for nurses and mental health specialists on strategies to reduce aggressive behavior improve staff knowledge, as evidenced from preintervention (education) to postintervention (education) surveys? A presurvey was given to seven participants (three RNs and four psych specialists) who completed the on-site training. A post-survey was given after the two on-site educational sessions. Two content experts assisted me in the development of this project. The result of this educational project demonstrated staff knowledge, with the mean score in the presurvey being 4.10 (SD = 0.876). The average outcomes of correct responses for the postsurvey were altered to 18.90 (SD = 28.50). Findings suggest a successful increase in the staff's knowledge of managing aggressive behaviors. These results are important to nursing practice as they cultivate a safety culture, decrease workplace stress, and improve staff and patient interactions. The social significance of this project is to advocate for well-balanced policies on workplace violence that protect staff and enable optimal health care services delivery to patients.

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