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Updated: Aug 7, 2026

The Resident-intruder Paradigm: A Standardized Test for Aggression, Violence and Social Stress
Published on: July 4, 2013
What do nurses do in response to their predictions of aggression?
1Rehabilitation Nursing Research and Development Unit, Royal Rehabilitation Centre Sydney, Australia. pryorj@doh.health.nsw.gov.au
Abstract:
Nurses working with people who have an acquired brain injury report a high incidence of verbal assault and physical aggression directed against them. The aim of the current study was to identify the responses nurses make to such predictions of aggression. Twenty-eight nurses from 10 inpatient brain injury rehabilitation units in Australia participated. Participants were selected because of their expertise in predicting and minimizing aggression. They were interviewed one-on-one using the Critical Decision Method of interviewing. Transcripts were analyzed using thematic analysis. Nurses identified three general responses to predictions of aggression: paying attention, planned nonintervention, and planned intervention. The nurses were able to respond to predictions of aggression in a clinically effective way. Knowledge of the individual patient and experiences with other brain-injured patients informed their practice.
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