An investigation into how community mental health nurses assess the risk of violence from their clients

Murphy, NA 2004, 'An investigation into how community mental health nurses assess the risk of violence from their clients' , Journal of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing, 11 (4) , pp. 407-413.

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Abstract

Part of the community mental health nurse's (CMHN) role is the assessment of violence posed by clients. It explores factors such as the reduction of inpatient beds and the predictability of violent acts towards nursing staff. This study outlines how the risk of violence is assessed by generic CMHNs, by examining their awareness, understanding and perceptions of violence posed by their clients. The data were collected in one Trust, using questionnaire and focus groups. The findings emphasize the importance of historical evidence but also raise the issue of gut feelings of the nurse. They further identify that clinical judgement can be accurate in assessing for violence, and CMHNs relied upon experience and personal impressions of the presenting evidence, rather than through the use of a standardized instrument.

Item Type:	Article
Themes:	Health and Wellbeing
Schools:	Schools > School of Health and Society
Journal or Publication Title:	Journal of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing
Publisher:	Blackwell Publishing
Refereed:	Yes
ISSN:	1351-0126
Depositing User:	Dr Neil Murphy
Date Deposited:	09 Jul 2012 12:34
Last Modified:	08 Aug 2017 18:53
URI:	http://usir.salford.ac.uk/id/eprint/22950

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