City Research Online

Junior staffing changes and the temporal ecology of adverse incidents in acute psychiatric wards

Bowers, L., Jeffery, D., Simpson, A. , Daly, C., Warren, J. & Nijman, H. (2007). Junior staffing changes and the temporal ecology of adverse incidents in acute psychiatric wards. Journal Of Advanced Nursing, 57(2), pp. 153-160. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2648.2006.04101.x

Abstract

Aim.  This paper reports an examination of the relationship between adverse incident rates, the arrival of new junior staff on wards, and days of the week on acute psychiatric wards.

Background.  Incidents of violence, absconding and self-harm in acute inpatient services pose risks to patients and staff. Previous research suggests that the arrival of inexperienced new staff may trigger more adverse incidents. Findings on the relationship between incidents and the weekly routine are inconsistent.

Method.  A retrospective analysis was conducted of formally reported incident rates, records of nursing student allocations and junior doctor rotation patterns, using Poisson Regression. Variance between days of the week was explored using contingency table analysis. The data covered 30 months on 17 psychiatric wards, and were collected in 2002–2004.

Findings.  The arrival of new and inexperienced staff on the wards was not associated with increases in adverse incident rates. Most types of incidents were less frequent at weekends and midweek. Incident rates were unchanged on ward-round days, but increased rates were found on the days before and after ward rounds.

Conclusion.  Increased patient tension is associated with raised incident rates. It may be possible to reduce incident rates by moderating stimulation in the environment and by mobilizing support for patients during critical periods.

Publication Type: Article
Additional Information: This is the accepted version of the following article: Bowers, L., Jeffery, D., Simpson, A., Daly, C., Warren, J. and Nijman, H. (2007), Junior staffing changes and the temporal ecology of adverse incidents in acute psychiatric wards. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 57: 153–160, which has been published in final form at http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2648.2006.04101.x
Publisher Keywords: absconding; aggression; document analysis; inpatients; mental health nursing; self-harm; suicide; violence
Subjects: R Medicine > R Medicine (General)
R Medicine > RC Internal medicine > RC0321 Neuroscience. Biological psychiatry. Neuropsychiatry
Departments: School of Health & Psychological Sciences
Related URLs:
SWORD Depositor:
[thumbnail of jan4101.pdf]
Preview
PDF - Accepted Version
Download (185kB) | Preview

Export

Add to AnyAdd to TwitterAdd to FacebookAdd to LinkedinAdd to PinterestAdd to Email

Downloads

Downloads per month over past year

View more statistics

Actions (login required)

Admin Login Admin Login