Evaluation of relationship between reaction against patient aggression and fatigue in psyhiatric hospital nurses

This study has been done to evaluate the relationship between reaction against patient aggression and fatigue in nurses that working in psyhiatric hospitals. The study was designed in desriptive manner. The universe and sample were onstituted of 395 nurses who were working in closed inpatient services of 7 district psychiatric hospital which are affiliated to T.C. Ministry of Health. Datas were collected with using Impact of Patient Aggression on Carers Scale (IMPACS) ve Maslach Fatigue Scale which?s validity and reliability tests were performed in this stury. In the statistical analysis of datas chi-square test, t test, ANOVA, and correlation coefficient were used. In validity and reliability study language validity, criterion validity, factor analysis, and Cronbach Alpha coefficient methods were used. It was designated that Response of Care Providers to Patient Aggression Scale is valid and reliable scale that can be used in Turkish society with 7 item and two sub-dimensions. Sub-dimensions was named as Corruption of Relation Between Care Provider and Patient and Not Feeling ConfidentNumber of the nurses that exposed to physical aggression during last one year was 326 (%82.5), number of verbal agrression was 15.29±26.96, number of phyiscal aggression was 7.46±13.3. Male nurses were exposed to aggression as swearing, kicking, fisting while female nurses were exposed to touch/solicitation. According to working year; 0-3 years workers were more often exposed to swearing, scratching, pushing, and the differene between groups was statistically significant. It was identified that, in nurses that had an education about aggression management and in nurses that working in Manisa PH, the relation between patient and care provider was less corrupted through sub-dimensions of IMPACS, in female nurses and in nurses that working in Elazığ PH, mean of the sub-dimension of the ?Not Feeling Confident? was higher and differnces between groups were statistically significant. The rate of emotional fatigue in pschiatric hospital nurses was %79 the rate of desensitization was %35.7. It was observed that desensitization was decreasin with age and working year and it was higher in male nurses. There was a positive relation between response to the patient aggression and fatigue levels in nurses.According to the results of the study, it was conclded that, precaution must be taken in psychiatry clinics to provide safer work, education programmes about aggression management must provided, consulting must be provided to the nurses that exposed to aggression and these nurses must closely followed in terms of fatigue.Key Words: burnout, patient aggression, pstchiatri nurse.