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Description
Background: Safety in the emergency department is of the highest priority with patient care for ED staff and psychiatric patients. Psychiatric patients are unpredictable and can have violent outbursts, especially in a mental health episode or under the influence of drugs and or alcohol. Research on psychiatric units in the emergency department has primarily focused on minimizing patient wait times, however, there is a lack of research on patient and staff safety. Objective: This thesis investigates the impact of incorporating a psychiatric unit staffed by mental health professionals and patient safety within the emergency department. Methods: This thesis will include a literature review with peer-reviewed journals and primary evidence associated with the violence ED staff endure with psychiatric patients, how mental health patients get easily overstimulated in the ED, and the education level of ED staff about psychiatric conditions. The results of this study will be reviewed before and after a psychiatric unit is placed within the ED and analyzed with inferential and descriptive statistics. This study will measure the number of violent events before and after a psychiatric unit is placed to determine the effectiveness of safety for ED staff and patients.
Department
Nursing
Publication Date
2023
Sponsorship/Conference/Institution
Dominican University of California
City
San Rafael, CA
Disciplines
Mental and Social Health | Nursing | Psychiatric and Mental Health | Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing | Substance Abuse and Addiction
Included in
Psychiatric and Mental Health Commons, Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing Commons, Substance Abuse and Addiction Commons