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Resistance to Care: contributing factors and associated behaviours in healthcare facilities
Ashley Kable1, Maya Guest, Mary McLeod
1Faculty of Health, University of Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia. Ashley.Kable@newcastle.edu.au
Aims:
This article reports results of a study of contributing factors and associated behaviours in specific clinical areas to resistance to care episodes.
Background:
Resistance to Care has previously been studied in aged care settings, and previous studies have reported patient behaviours and appropriate responses. Resistance to Care is a defensive response by patients towards healthcare staff and is demonstrated in various non-compliant behaviours.
Design:
Cross-sectional study.
Methods:
A cross-sectional survey of a representative sample of nurses (n = 5044), who were members of the New South Wales Nurses' Association in Australia, was conducted in 2008-2009.
Results:
Resistance to Care episodes occur in various clinical settings and may be precipitated by a range of clinical diagnoses and symptoms. They may also be triggered during various nursing activities that nurses recognize as high-risk for these episodes.
Conclusion:
The reported Resistance to Care behaviours are similar to those reported in studies of aggression and violence; however, they require a substantially different response by nurses in various clinical contexts.
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