Behavioral Health Violence - Essay Example

Violence and injuries are widespread and are ranked among the top 15 killers of all ages in America. Many people accept them as part of life or acts of fate, or accidents. However, most of the events result in disability, injury, or death that are predictable and preventable. Beyond the immediate result, the consequences of behavioral health violence are lost productivity because of low morale and high medical costs resulting from treating the injuries. Some healthcare workers rationalize behavioral health violence as an occupational hazard and believe that measures need to be taken to cope with it. Nursing working in behavioral settings need to take some measures to prevent such occurrences.

It can be through medication, restraining the patient, and seclusion. Even though these methods are effective in the short term, they can also be used in the long term to change the patients’ behavioral patterns. Other methods include leaving the door open and making sure that there is security for nurses when they are dealing with violent patients. Finally, an increase in the level of violence among patients towards nurses is closely associated with a decrease in the number of permanent nursing staff.

One theory states that patients become violent because they need continuity and stability around them (Richter, 2006).