Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 31, 2026
Implementation of a Real-Time Psychosis Risk Detection and Alerting System Based on Electronic Health Records using CogStack
Published on: May 15, 2020
Usefulness of Aggressive Behaviour Risk Assessment Tool for prospectively identifying violent patients in medical and
Son Chae Kim1, Kristyn Ideker, Dale Todicheeney-Mannes
1School of Nursing, Point Loma Nazarene University, San Diego, California, USA. sonkim@pointloma.edu
Aim:
The aim of this study is to evaluate the usefulness of the Aggressive Behaviour Risk Assessment Tool for prospectively identifying violent patients in medical-surgical units.
Background:
Although patient violence against nurses is a serious occupational hazard, there is a lack of simple screening tools with acceptable sensitivity and specificity for identifying potentially violent patients in medical-surgical units.
Methods:
A prospective cohort study involving patients admitted to six medical-surgical units at an acute care hospital was conducted from August 2009 to December 2009. Primary nurses completed the 17-item checklist within 24 hours of admission. A second identical checklist was completed by another nurse to assess the inter-rater reliability. Following a violent event or just prior to discharge, the violent event outcome section was completed to collect information about violent event, if any. A multivariate logistic regression model with backward elimination was used to select a set of parsimonious items that best predict violent behaviours.
Results:
Fifty-six patients out of 2063 (2·7%) had one or more violent events. A parsimonious set of ten items were selected for the tool. Receiver Operating Characteristics analysis of Aggressive Behaviour Risk Assessment Tool showed that the area under the curve was 0·82 (95% Confidence Interval, 0·75-0·90). The sensitivity and specificity at the cut-off score of 1 were 70·9% and 89·3%, respectively. The Cohen's Kappa for inter-rater reliability was 0·647.
Conclusion:
The Aggressive Risk Assessment Tool is a simple, easy-to-use assessment tool with acceptable inter-rater reliability, sensitivity and specificity that may be useful for prospectively identifying violent patients in medical-surgical units.
Related Concept Videos
01:19Respiratory Assessment: Purpose and Indications
Objectives and Importance:
The primary goal of respiratory assessment is to evaluate patients at early risk of clinical deterioration. Since respiratory distress often precedes other signs of declining health, breathing patterns and sounds become a...
01:47Aggression
01:25Assessment of apical radial pulse
The A-R pulse assessment involves simultaneous evaluation of the apical and radial pulses. When the apical and radial pulse rates vary, this assessment helps identify a pulse deficit.
Pre-Procedural Preparation
01:14SBAR II: Application of SBAR
SBAR Report from a Nurse to a Health Care Provider
S: "Hello, Dr. Smith. This is Jane, RN, from the Med Surg unit. I am calling to tell you about Ms. White in Room 210, who is experiencing increased pain and redness at her incision site. Her recent...
01:23Types of Biopharmaceutical Studies: Controlled and Non-Controlled Approaches
Non-controlled studies, commonly employed for initial exploration, lack a control group, rendering them susceptible to biases and external influences. In contrast, controlled...
01:20Assessment of Ventilation I: Respiratory Rate
A Ventilation assessment is critical for monitoring a patient's health status. Respiration, one of the most accessible vital signs, provides insights into the function of numerous body systems and can indicate serious health issues, such as brainstem injuries from head trauma.
Critical Guidelines for Assessing Ventilation: