Empowering Nursing Students through De-Escalation Training to Reduce Workplace Violence

Autumn Cotten, Taylor Garrenton, Heather McLees-Frazier, Summer Seeds, Melissa Yeager
Bon Secours Memorial College of Nursing

Abstract Data and Analysis of the Issue AIM - Proposed Solution Conclusion
Students have expressed concern over the The issue: Students at BMSCON are unprepared to
Purpose: Our aim is to reduce workplace violence frequency of violent incidents against healthcare AIM: By December 2025, 100% of graduating Bon
by training nursing students in de-escalation of Secours nursing students will have taken de- address workplace violence.
workers in the units they work and study in.
potentially violent situations; this training could Current curriculum does not provide learning escalation training as a part of their required
lead to more empowered nurses entering the education. Data analysis: Workplace violence is epidemic, but
opportunities for students to master de-escalation current curriculum does not include de-escalation
workforce. and self-defense strategies. Since students make up
Proposed Solution: 100% of nursing students training
a large percentage of sitters employed by Bon
Background: Healthcare settings have increasingly Secours Mercy Health, requiring a course or unit on enrolled at Bon Secours Memorial College of
concerning incidences of workplace violence, Nursing in August 2025 will complete de-escalation Solution: create a de-escalation training for all
de-escalation and self-defense will help reduce the BSMCON students.
which can lead to burnout and decreased quality frequency and severity of violent incidents long- training by the time they graduate.
of life for healthcare workers (Jeong, & Lee, 2020). term in the healthcare setting.
Currently, there is no de-escalation training
provided for nursing students at BSMCON.
Logistics: Curriculum change
Proposed Solution: Provide de-escalation training to incorporate de-escalation References
for nursing students so that they are better able to training into Mental Health
navigate potentially violent situations.
course Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2021).
Implications for Practice: Training students will Occupational violence. [Course].
reduce workplace violence by equipping new Stakeholders: Faculty, school https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/violence/trai
nurses with the skills they need to de-escalate ning_nurses.html
situations before they become violent.
administrators, school board
administrators, & students
Jeong, Y. & Lee, K. (2020). The development and
effectiveness of a clinical training violence
Introduction and Description of prevention program for nursing students.
the Issue Potential costs: CDC Course International Journal of Environmental Research
No. WB2908 is free (CDC, and Public Health, 17(11), 4004.
https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17114004
Macro Description: Violence against 2021); costs of simulation
healthcare workers in hospitals is a significant Martinez, A. J. (2017). Implementing a workplace
problem that leads to burnout and violence simulation for undergraduate nursing
physical/emotional harm (Jeong & Lee, 2020; Root Cause students: A pilot study. Journal of Psychosocial
Schoenfisch et al., 2015). Next steps: Research how other Nursing and Mental Health Services, 55(10), 39–
Root Cause: Lack of education in workplace nursing schools have 44.
Micro Description: Currently, there is no de- violence and de-escalation techniques leaves implemented de-escalation https://doi.org/10.3928/02793695-20170818-04
escalation training provided to nursing nurses unprepared for situations they may face in training, and the effectiveness of
students at Bon Secours Memorial College of
Nursing. This, in addition to data from the
today’s workplace. the training. (Martinez, 2017) Schoenfisch, A. L., Pompeii, L. A., Lipscomb, H. J.,
literature, supports the need for the Hypothesis: If nursing students/future nurses ●Acquire Faculty and Admin buy- Smith, C. D., Upadhyaya, M., & Dement, J. M.
(2015). An urgent need to understand and
intervention are provided thorough de-escalation training, in for new course component address the safety and well-being of hospital
then overall rates of workplace violence will ●Incorporate CDC Course into “sitters.” American Journal of Industrial
be decreased. Medicine, 58(12), 1278–1287.
Mental Health Curriculum
https://doi.org/10.1002/ajim.22529
●Create simulation