Management Strategies for Containment of Aggression and Violence in Mental Health Nursing

ADVANCE MENTAL
HEALTH NURSING

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
ZERO TOLERANCE......................................................................................................................1
ABOLISHMENT OF RESTRICTIVE PRACTICES......................................................................2
CRITICAL DISCUSSION OF MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES.................................................4
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................5
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................7

INTRODUCTION
Mental Health Nursing is one of the most critical and effective area of study and practice
that is directly associated with handling patients within health facilities that are suffering from
mental illness (Zugai, Stein-Parbury & Roche, 2015). At the same time, it is imperative that the
care and assistance given to the individuals is in adherence of their rights in an appropriate
manner. However, within Australia, as well as globally, there are two movements or approaches
which are being implemented within mental health service in which one approach is related to
the “Zero Tolerance” policy towards aggression and violence and the other is related to
abolishment of restrictive practices in mental health. Therefore, in regards to this, the report
below is based on critical discussion of alternate management strategies for containment of
aggression and violence in inpatient psychiatric settings.
ZERO TOLERANCE
Violence against health and social care workers within mental health facilities is one of
the widely researched and debatable topics in the current global healthcare environment. The
reason for the same is that the individuals adopting this profession are usually the very first ones
who come in contact with patients with mental illness within healthcare settings and hence are
the primary ones who indulge in the process of triage, which is a procedure that is required to
determine the intensity, as well as severity of the level of illness which a patient is currently
suffering. This also includes anticipating the level of urgency which is necessary to be adhered to
in providing the patient with medical assistance. However, sometimes delay in services, or other
issue within the facility seems to trigger the violence in these individuals which are then
showcased upon healthcare workers as it has been widely witnessed within the past years
(Adams, 2015).
Therefore, in response to this, Zero Tolerance Policy has been adopted by the mental
health organisations across Australia which was directed against any act of violence or
aggression that could put the health and safety of patients as well as individuals in jeopardy.
The policy has been intended to function in an effective and ethical manner which does
not direct the healthcare worker that any appropriate action is required to be taken in response to
the violent behaviour of individuals, rather dealing the situation with necessary clinical
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