F3 - Faculty Training: De-escalation of Students and Patients using Standardized Patient Encounters

Abstract : Students and faculty encounter violence in both healthcare and educational settings (Dafny et al, 2023, Olson et al., 2020).18.5% of Clinical Faculty met criteria for being occasionally or frequently bullied (El Ghaziri et al., 2021). 43-73% of nursing students experience violence (Dafny et al., 2023). Faculty are often tasked with mitigating the violence that students encounter from both patients and nurses in the workplace, while experiencing violence themselves. Faculty often ignore or retreat from incivility due to a lack of confidence or skill.

Purpose: arm faculty with the ability to recognize cues of anger escalation and the skills to successfully de-escalate potentially violent situations.

Method: Using Kolb’s Experiential Learning Theory (Kolb & Kolb, 2009), de-escalation skills were taught and demonstrated for a faculty group (27 participants). Faculty then practiced using de-escalation techniques during three small group (9) encounters with Standardized Patients who portrayed: an angry parent in the urgent care, a violent patient in acute care experiencing withdrawal and a student receiving negative feedback from a faculty member and reacting with threats. Each encounter was debriefed by experienced mental health faculty using the PEARLS method.
Outcomes: faculty picked two techniques they will try in future situations. Most often faculty chose “stay calm” with “use empathy” and “actively listen” as close second and third choices. Faculty rated the objectives as met (100% agree/strongly agree) and rated the information as enhancing their knowledge/skill/practice as a nurse educator (100% agree/strongly agree). Faculty requested more simulations with Standardized Patients to practice these skills.

Please include a short summary of your presentation that highlights why an attendee would want to participate in your session.: Faculty and students often encounter violence in both the academic and clinical settings. Clinical faculty also report bullying from staff nurses and their faculty colleagues. Reduced job satisfaction, adverse effects on learning and leaving the profession are frequent results. Encounters with Standardized Patients can provide faculty with the skills and confidence to recognize and de-escalate potentially violent situations. Come and practice with us.