Experiences of inpatient psychiatric unit nurses on the methods user for de-escalation of aggressive patients

Objective: The purpose of the study; to explain the experience of nurses working in psychiatry clinics to use de-escalation methods to escalate the aggressive patient. Method: Descriptive qualitative was taken in the study. Studies of Turkey's Izmir province Adult Psychiatry, was conducted in two university hospitals. The sample of the study consisted of 12 nurses working in the psychiatry clinic selected by sampling. The data were collected through individual interviews with nurses, and a semi-structured interview form was used to collect the data. In analyzing the data, content analysis method was used. Results: Three themes emerged as a result of study. The theme of de-escalation process includes two sub-themes: requirements and interventions. The requirements sub-theme includes awareness of personal communication and response regulation, warm and sincere communication, reflecting that it is valuable and important. Interventions sub-theme includes risk assessment and measures, noticing and referral to action, trying to save time, drug interventions, threatening. The theme of facilitators of de-escalation includes nurses were found to have their own experience and intuition. The theme of making difficult the de-escalation includes factors originating from service, patient-related factors, and beliefs about restrictive methods. Conclusion: De-escalating the aggressive patient is a dynamic and challenging process that is affected by many factors. Considering the experiences of nurses using these methods, it is important to organize trainings on the management of the aggressive individual and to raise awareness and manage aggression accordingly. Key words: De-escalation, Psychiatry Clinic, Nursing, Aggression, Qualitative