[Effect of a training course in management of aggression and violence on nursing students]

The aim of this study was to test the effect of a training course in aggression management on nursing students in their basic training. The research question was: Do nursing students feel more competent and more secure in dealing with aggressive patients after the training course than prior to the training? To test the effect of the training the nursing students' self-efficacy and confidence was measured in a quasi-experimental investigation. The experimental group (n = 57) completed a four day training course in aggression management. The control group (n = 60) had no comparable educational intervention but was measured on the same variables as the experimental group. Analysis was conducted by univariate analysis of variance using repeated measures and demonstrated that the nursing students in the experimental group had significantly higher (p < or = 0.001) self reported self-efficacy scores after the training course compared with the control group. The self reported feeling of security also demonstrated improvement, although not statistically significant in all areas. Nevertheless, the nursing students' self reports demonstrated that participants completing the training feel more secure in dealing with aggressive patients. The results show that the training course can lead to improvements in nursing students' self-efficacy and confidence.