Policy Development for Workplace Violence in Mental Health Units

This report outlines the process of developing a workplace violence policy within a mental health nursing setting, focusing on modifying and enhancing the existing NSW zero tolerance to violence policy to better suit local hospital or district needs. It addresses the increasing cases of workplace violence, including bullying, intimidation, and physical harm, particularly related to patients with paranoia and their families. The report details the phases of policy development, including initiating the process, defining the framework, seeking approval, and ensuring the policy leads to action. Key elements include stakeholder involvement, public awareness, leadership commitment, defining a mission statement, setting goals, and defining interventions such as training programs and safety measures. The policy aims to reduce workplace violence by improving suicide assessment skills, implementing evidence-based guidelines, and preventing physical harm to staff, with a focus on monitoring patient behavior and providing effective support and resources to healthcare workers.

Developing a policy
around workplace
violence

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION ..........................................................................................................................1
Phase one: Is initiating the policy development process .......................................................1
Phase 2,A: Define framework ...............................................................................................3
Phase 2,B................................................................................................................................4
Phase 2C insuring policy leads to action ..............................................................................6
Phase 3: seeking approval and endorsement ........................................................................7
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................7
REFERENCES ..............................................................................................................................8

INTRODUCTION
In the nursing health care setting policy analysis and outlining of the policy is important,
according to the key issues and situation of the specific health care setting. Because national
policy in the existing health care system is can note easy to understand and address the key issue
of workplace (Morphet, 2019). Because in district basis things get change or different from
national level. Analysis of the policies identification of the relevant regulations and guidelines
then outlining of that is can be helpful to address the violence issues.
Workplace violence is the use of force to harm another person, this can be in the form of
threats, bullying, intimation, harassment and abuse. Within the health care setting cases of the
workplace violence is increasing, it has been analysed that 38% of the workers in the health care
setting had been reported with the physical violence (Beattie 2019) This is is mostly related to
the patients and their family and this is very common in mental health nursing. By the help of
assessment one various violence incidents are identified, such as bullying, intimidation, physical
harm, harassment, abuse and actual assault, which are further associated with the risk of
depression, anxiety, suicide, PTSD. So in context to prevention and management of the zero
violence and its adverse impact on patient or staff health, modification and development of the
new outlines of NSW zero tolerance to violence policy is done in this essay so that it suits the
local hospital or district.
Phase one: Is initiating the policy development process
Background
In the mental health services workplace the mental health issue which consider as the
problem for staff and causes of violence is paranoia. Because this is the mental health condition
at which patient feel that every one want to get them and harm them. This is the type of illusion
which the influence of which they can attempt suicide or harem the staff for own safety due to
the wrong interpretation of risk.
Workplace violence is the leading factor of the health care nursing staff harm and
burnout. Violence is the physical, sexual, emotional and psychological abusive behaviour
towards the other. It has been reported that majority of 81% nurses and and midwives
experienced between one and 10 episodes of the violence is experienced by the 2% of nurses. In
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the public health sector there is the higher cases of violence in comparison to the private health
care sector (Pien , 2019). Males are facing this issue more then the women's between 78 to 88%.
in the mental health care setting nurses are facing the violence due to the lack of the appropriate
assessment and patient management criteria. Such as one of the leading problems which causes
the cases of violence is lack of the knowledge related to suicide assessment in context to the
paranoia patient management, as patient with the abnormal behaviour try to conduct suicide and
managing nurses during that situation get harmed by the patient due to the insufficient guidelines
and outlines for the suicide assessment within managing polices.
Current policy and stakeholders
In context to the management of health care setting issues like violence one of the most
important thing is policy, which provide guidelines and assistance manual to the health care
workers for addressing these issues (Morphet, 2019). Mental Health Intensive Care Unit is the
health care setting where the various incidents of the violence are identified, from which one of the
key issue is analysed, such as the lack of educational resources such as paranoia patient suicide
assessment due to which most of the physical violence case develop. The existing policy in
Mental Health Intensive Care Unit is NSW zero tolerance to violence policy. Purpose of the
policy is to manage the safe workplace for the health care staff and risk free visiting and care of
the patient from the exposer to act of the violence. The key outlines of the policy are
identification, assessment, elimination and control of the violence related risk and the
management of the situation by providing the appropriate action or response to the violence
incident. This is providing the guidelines of health facility for NSW and specific control
measures for that. The key stakeholders of the policy are carers, health professionals, patients
and different health care unites of the NSW. Who have to follow this policy and should get
informed about the new changes in this policy as it effects the function and welling of these
stakeholder.
Public awareness
The developing case of the workplace violence, impact and it control measures
information and new are increasing the public awareness about the violence, such as the peoples
knowledge about the mental health patient abnormal behaviour and suicidal attempts in the
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process of management of which nurses get physically harm. Is can be use for the collection of
information and recommendation related to the management and prevention of the workplace
violence. NSW zero tolerance to violence policy can use all these information to streamline the
policy guide for the health care workers, which can further help them in the prevention of
violence by the effective management of the patient (Clark, 2019).
leadership and political commitments
Senior managers of the organization have to lead in the management, implementation and
monitoring of the policy. Manager have to play visible and active role in the establishment of the
policy. Managers have to lead the implementation by demonstrating the support for strategies of
the policy. Such as they have to support the in wearing duress, alarms and incident reporting.
Manager also have to provide effective support at the situation or incident of violence.
Management team commitments according to the policy should be success of zero tolerance
approach principles, should be training and development of the staff skills about the suicide
assessment (Brunero, 2021). Commitment of the manger is to provide the effective learning
support for the nursing staff education and skills development regarding suicide assessment.
Staff should know that how to report incident, they should have access to the management
support and training and manager have to acknowledge and act on staff concerns.
Involvement of key stakeholder
The key stakeholder of the NSW zero tolerance to violence policy is Ministry of Health
and government medical officers along with the health care unites and healthcare professionals.
As they are performing important role in the development and implementation of the polices
along which the achievement of goals (Weller, 2019).
Phase 2,A: Define framework
Mission statement and guiding principles
Mission of the project is develop the policy with some modification on it, surrounding
suicide assessment related to the mental health problem paranoia. Their outlining of the policy
should be related to the development of guidelines and learning assets which can help the
workers to manage the patient at the situation of low and high-risk of the suicide. This can
further helps in the prevention of physical violence which is associated with the management of
patient at the suicidal behaviour. As according to the world health organization prevention of the
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suicide by addressing the mental health condition of the individual is human rights imperative.
Health and safety is the right of the workers in context to which this policy is modified with new
outlines of violence prevention and control (Patalinghug 2021).
Goals
NSW zero tolerance to violence policy is the 10 year plan to reduce the workplace
violence by improving the learning of suicide assessment and evidence based guidelines of
suicide prevention along with the prevention of managing staff physical harm (Johnson and
White, 2018). Below are the key goals of policy modification and new outlining is illustrated.
 Facilitating the effective training and development programmes regulation and manuals
for staff related to violent patient management and staff safety.
 Development of the effective guidelines for the mental health patient behaviour analysis
and monitoring.
 Providing the effective safety measures guidelines for the workers, who manage the
mental health patient at the situations like suicidal attempts.
Staff skills and knowledge about the patient behaviour is can be effective tool for the
prevention of violence incident, because with these skills risk is can be pre analysed or
prevented. Staff with the appropriate measures for managing the suicidal attempts can save
themself from the violence (Duncum, 2019).
Phase 2,B
Set objectives and define interventions
 Facilitating the effective training, related to the regulation and manuals for staff to
manage violent patient and own safety.
Interventions
 Illustration of the best tools of staff training and step by step training guide for the
nursing staff, about the use of new management and safety regulations.
 Education of the staff about the mental health patient behaviour and symptoms of the
violences.
Resources required
 Education tools like learning resources related to the suicidal assessment.
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 Books and journals related to the effective monitoring of the mental health patient and
risk assessment.
 Training room and effective presentation tools (Satyen, 2018).
Measurability and time frame
 These selective guidelines of the staff training and education have to be updated in the
policy within one year.
Development of the effective guidelines for the mental health patient behaviour analysis and
monitoring.
Interventions
 Inferring the social rhythm metric
 Aggregation of the information into summary
 Self exploration and reflection guides
 Educate staff about the use of sensors embedded in smartphones
 For the monitoring and preventing mental health associated violence MARAM tool will
use.
Resources required
 Evidence based resources and trainer how can helps in the right use of patient behaviour
analysis interventions.
 Availability of key assets of the patient analysis such as sensors phone, MARAM tool
and social rhythm matrix.
Measurability and time frame
 This will take one year to implement new guidelines and tools for the patient behaviour
analysis.
Providing the effective safety measures guidelines for the workers to safely manage suicidal
attempts and prevent it.
Interventions
 Teach coping and problem solving skills.
 Promote interpersonal relationship and connectedness.
 Suicide risk assessment and safety plan.
Resources required
 Community engagement activities.
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 Social emotional learning programmes.
 Management team for the risk assessment and limit the chases of suicidal and violence
attempts.
Measurability and time frame
 All over the complete process of leaning and emotional support programmes
implementation and application is can be achieve with in one year (Ashraf and Cawood,
2018).
Phase 2C insuring policy leads to action
Priorities
As the development of policy with new outlines take time and not every patient are
posing the suicidal attempts and violence. So within the proper development of policies with new
guidelines that is important and instructed to staff to use available resources according to the
introductory baseline (Zaikov, 2017).
Challenges
The key challenges within in the process of introducing new policy is including the staff
remembering issues related to new guidelines and adjustment issues. Lack of the confidence that
how to use the new policy outlines. Training can help to overcome this problem.
Responsibility
As this policy is the part of the health care standards and informed by the national
government and health ministry. That is the responsibility of the managers to inform staff about
this policy and support them to follow the policy with all supportive assets.
Resources
Each and every resources on the basis of recommendation are allocated to the
accomplishment of each goals (Baik, Naylor and Corrin,2018).
Mechanism for monitoring and evaluation
The policy remain in the stage of draft and this can be assesses by the aid of world health
organization guidelines, of developing policies to prevent injury and violence. In order to
monitor the policy that is important to monitor it from its introduction through feedbacks. Follow
up of the policy should complete within the 12 months introductory period to establishes baseline
and adapt and improve the policy.
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Phase 3: seeking approval and endorsement
Stakeholder approval
After the of the policy into the advance stage of the draft, that is important to send the
copy of policy to the key stakeholders, for review and feedback meeting. Such as this is transfer
to the health care professional and ministry of the health.
Government approval
On the basis of the WHO policy development standards, this policy surrounding the
suicide assessment is meeting the legal standards and fit for the government approval. This can
be submit to the Victorian health and state government for the consideration of authorization and
publication (Newman, 2019).
State endorsement
This policy is not require the approval and endorsement of the parliament as this is
developed as useful guide for the specific district level. To encourage the pre analysis and
prevention of the patient suicidal or other violence attempts in order to reduce the chances of
harm (Maylea, 2021).
CONCLUSION
From the above study it has been concluded that polices are planing key role in the health
care setting for the effective care of the patient and accomplishment of the professionals goals
along with the assurance of own safety. In order to manage the effective health care services
within the changing environmental that is important to monitor and modify the policies
according to the new factors and challenges. For the modification and development of the new
policy there are three important phases such as initiating the policy development process, Define
framework interventions and leads to action, seeking approval and endorsement.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Morphet, J., and et. al., 2019. Managers’ experiences of prevention and management of
workplace violence against health care staff: A descriptive exploratory study. Journal of
nursing management, 27(4), pp.781-791.
Beattie, J., and et. al., 2019. Workplace violence perpetrated by clients of health care: A need
for safety and trauma‐informed care. Journal of clinical nursing, 28(1-2), pp.116-124.
Pien, L.C., and et. al., 2019. Internal workplace violence from colleagues is more strongly
associated with poor health outcomes in nurses than violence from patients and families.
Journal of advanced nursing, 75(4), pp.793-800.
Morphet, J., and et. al., 2019. Managers’ experiences of prevention and management of
workplace violence against health care staff: A descriptive exploratory study. Journal of
nursing management, 27(4), pp.781-791.
Clark, C.M., 2019. Fostering a culture of civility and respect in nursing. Journal of Nursing
Regulation, 10(1), pp.44-52.
Brunero, S., and et. al., 2021. Examining the utility of the Violence Prevention Climate scale: In
a metropolitan Australian general hospital. Journal of clinical nursing.
Weller, P., 2019. OPCAT monitoring and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with
Disabilities. Australian Journal of Human Rights, 25(1), pp.130-149.
Patalinghug, M.E., and et. al., 2021. Curfew Implementation: Extent, Impact, Problems and
Solutions in a Town in the Philippines. International Journal of Criminal Justice Sciences,
16(1), pp.64-83.
Duncum, I.G., 2019. The Impact of Church Consultancy: Explore the Impact of One Model of
Church Consultancy on Church Health and Church Growth in NSW/ACT Baptist
Churches. Wipf and Stock Publishers.
Satyen, L., and et. al., 2018. Intimate partner violence and help-seeking behavior among migrant
women in Australia. Journal of family violence, 33(7), pp.447-456.
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Ashraf, H. and Cawood, F., 2018. Implementation plan for a new mineral policy development
framework and mining cadastre system for Pakistan. Journal of Science and Technology
Policy Management.
Baik, C., Naylor, R. and Corrin, L., 2018. Developing a framework for university-wide
improvement in the training and support of ‘casual’academics. Journal of Higher
Education Policy and Management, 40(4), pp.375-389.
Zaikov, K., Tamitskiy, A. and Zadorin, M., 2017. Legal and political framework of the federal
and regional legislation on national ethnic policy in the Russian Arctic. The Polar
Journal, 7(1), pp.125-142.
Newman, C., Eason, M. and Kinghorn, G., 2019. Incidence of vicarious trauma in correctional
health and forensic mental health staff in New South Wales, Australia. Journal of forensic
nursing, 15(3), pp.183-192.
Maylea, C., and et. al., 2021. Consumers' experiences of rights-based mental health laws:
Lessons from Victoria, Australia. International Journal of Law and Psychiatry, 78,
p.101737.
Johnson, A., Nguyen, H., Groth, M. and White, L., 2018. Workplace aggression and
organisational effectiveness: The mediating role of employee engagement. Australian
Journal of Management, 43(4), pp.614-631.
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