Defining Staff Injury Due to Client Behavior in the Behavioral Health Care Setting

• NCJ Number: 235298
• Journal: Residential Treatment for Children &Youth Volume: 28 Issue: 2 Dated: April-June 2011 Pages: 140-149
• Author(s): Megan Russell, Ph.D.; Glynn Fraker, R.N.; Steven Mansh, B.A.; Thomas Wasser, Ph.D., M.Ed.; Lori Henderson, Ph.D., LCSW
• Date Published: May 2011
• Length: 10 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This study examined restrictive procedures within psychiatric or residential base settings.

Abstract

Continuous Quality Improvement programs require organizations to assess staff related injuries as they correspond to client restrictive procedures. This study compares a three level staff injury system (Mild, Moderate, Severe) against the type of situation in which the injury occurred defined as unintentional, weapon or device used, and during the process of a restrictive procedure. There were 5,685 injuries over a 6-year period: 8.4 percent of injuries were unintentional, 10.0 percent involved the use of a device, and 30.7 percent of injuries occurred as the result of a restrictive procedure. Staff injury at moderate level was associated with restrictive procedures (p less than .001). (Published Abstract)