The agitated patient on the neurology ward
Few clinical scenarios have as much potential to evoke ill-feeling and inter-disciplinary tension as the agitated patient. Though unfortunate this is understandable. With agitation comes disruption of normally efficient ward routines, fear of aggression and even actual injury. Staff who feel threate...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Whitehouse Publishing
2016-02-01
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| Series: | Advances in Clinical Neuroscience & Rehabilitation |
| Online Access: | https://acnr.co.uk/articles/the-agitated-patient-on-the-neurology-ward/ |
| Summary: | Few clinical scenarios have as much potential to evoke ill-feeling and inter-disciplinary tension as the agitated patient. Though unfortunate this is understandable. With agitation comes disruption of normally efficient ward routines, fear of aggression and even actual injury. Staff who feel threatened and ‘out of their depth’ struggle to provide optimal patient care, a problem potentially magnified when misinformation is seen as fact (see Table 1) and the view this ‘should be someone else’s problem’ gains purchase. The reality is alternative placements are rarely available for medically unwell agitated patients. Consequently tempers fray, a misinterpretation of ‘zero tolerance’ policies is used to justify disengagement, and the care of often particularly sick patients suffers with potentially devastating consequences. Thankfully however with adequate preparation staff can increase their confidence in working with these patients, derive much satisfaction from providing good quality care, and greatly improve outcomes. |
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| ISSN: | 1473-9348 2397-267X |