Managing patient aggression and violence

Table of contents

Module 1 – Prevention and preparedness | Managing patient aggression and violence

During a disaster, people can experience a wide range of emotions including anger, fear and anxiety. In addition, preexisting mental health conditions can be exacerbated. It is important for all practice team members to be reminded that some of your patients may present in a heightened state of emotion. In some cases, patients may become aggressive or violent.

The RACGP’s Preventing and managing patient aggression and violence resource has been designed to support you and your practice team in identifying and managing such incidents. It outlines your obligations in responding to and preventing these events and includes templates for you to use when issuing warning letters, placing patients on acceptable behaviour agreements, or discontinuing care for patients at your practice.

It also includes posters that you can print and display in your practice to inform everyone that aggression and violence will not be tolerated in any circumstance.

Take action

Ensure your practice team have an understanding of how to manage patient aggression and violence. You can use advice found with the RACGP’s Preventing and managing patient aggression and violence resource to guide conversations or education sessions.
Create a new section in your emergency response plan outlining how team members can respond to acts of aggression or violence from patients or other visitors. An example of what this may look like can be found below.
- It is recommended that practices have an agreed policy in place about how to manage incidents of patient aggression and/or violence. Make a note of where your team can find that policy in your emergency response plan.

Example:

Managing acts of aggression and violence
Warning signs of escalating aggression and violence
Immediate response
Relevant policy location

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