Leadership Support for Health Care Staff Managing Challenging Behavior of Patients

A strong organizational culture begins with leadership who create systems and structures to support safety and well-being of staff. The purpose of this article is to provide direction for nursing leaders on resources and actionable items to support staff who have been involved in challenging encounters with patient behavior. Staff needs are impacted not only by the situation but also by available on-the-job support and leadership respect for staff's individual judgment. Postsituation support from both leaders and peers offer a protective effect against negative outcomes from adverse experiences. Ultimately, staff preferences for specific resources are individual and best determined through private conversation with their leadership. Given the unique nature of each situation, taking into account patient intentions and staff perceptions, it is important to offer flexible and actionable measures for staff managing challenging patient behaviors.