One of our recent training programmes was designed to equip NHS clinical teams, including nurses, healthcare assistants and medical staff with the knowledge and skills to navigate the behavioural challenges within a Hospital’s Emergency Department. 

Due to the nature of a Hospital ED, patients present with a wide array of characteristics and vulnerabilities. Common risk scenarios include unpredictable patient behaviour, often related to intoxication or a clinical condition, and frequent hostility from visitors including family members. These situations can result in abuse and injuries to staff and risks to patients.

Before training began, a survey was conducted with 25 staff members that quantified some of the department's key areas of concern.

• 80% reported experiencing threats of violence at least monthly.
• 76% faced unintentional assaults every month.
• Over half had been intentionally assaulted in the past 12 months.
• Staff felt most vulnerable during triage, lone working, and while supporting patients with acute mental health issues.

Maybo worked with the hospital to implement a tailored training programme to navigate these high-risk situations more confidently and safely.

Our approach

Maybo’s training programme focused on five key areas:

• Positive Approaches to Behaviour
• Safer De-escalation Techniques
• Personal Safety and Disengagement
• Redirection and Guiding
• Clinical Holding

The core programme (up to Redirection and Guiding) was delivered to 72 staff members, 48 of whom also received training in Clinical Holding.

Post-training outcomes

End of course feedback on the training and trainer was excellent, but the real test was if skills and confidence transferred to practice in the Emergency Department. A follow-up survey revealed a substantial boost in confidence when it came to effectively managing challenging behaviours:

Additional stats

• Confidence to support people experiencing distress/a mental health crisis increased by 32%.
• Confidence to maintain personal safety and avoid physical assault increased from 64% to 87%. 
• Confidence to disengage/breakaway if someone grips or holds you increased from 42% to 80%. 
• Confidence to physically re-direct/guide unpredictable patients increased from 33% to 80%.
• Confidence in physically holding patients to keep them safe increased from 32% to 80% (before training, 40% reported not feeling confident at all.) 
• Confidence in physically holding patients to keep staff safe increased from 33% to 73% (before training, 41% reported not feeling confident at all.) 

Further elements outlined by staff that they felt would have a positive impact on clinical practice included:

“Active listening and responsiveness”

“Understanding why patients may be presenting the way they are”

“Being able to redirect and guide patients”

“Positioning of hands when speaking to patients”

The statistics and feedback indicate that following the implementation of Maybo’s training in a busy Hospital Emergency Department, staff could deliver essential emergency patient care with significant improvements in ability to minimise risks to themselves and others.

Find out more about Maybo’s Hospital Training Programmes or get in touch to speak to one of the Maybo team about your requirements.