Violence and Aggression in the Health Care Sector

It is important to document a violent incident between a patient and a health professional, regardless of whether it was verbal violence or a threat. The entry dealing with a violent incident should not be only a part of a special event report, but it is suitable to confirm this fact also by an entry into routine documentation. Witnesses should ideally sign it. This documentation can then serve either as a defence, or on the contrary, as an accusation if used by a jurist or an authorized expert (Mach, 2010). That is why we recommend not writing the report about this special event immediately after the incident. The increased level of stress hormones stays for up to 90 minutes after the violent action. The report and the entry into the medical documentation should be written with a calm head. 

It is necessary to be aware of the fact that this report will be read by an authorized expert. Besides a clear time line (what preceded the situation - how the situation began - its process and end), the report should be clear and informative.  (When the help was called for and what help). If it was necessary to use a physical grasp or physical defence (weapon), it is necessary to write this very clearly and that only such a force was used as a last resort. It was needed to avert an attack and that it was not possible to leave the scene. We recommend also listing all possibilities that could be used in the given situation prevent injuries to both sides and what was utilised why all possibilities were not used (Bennett, 2012). Unfortunately, in the present situation regarding incident reporting, most victims of attacks neither report these incidents nor document them. (Hoffmannová, 2010). It is important to know that all of our entries into the medical documentations can help us but can also harm us. At any time the patient, his attorney or family can read this medical documentation. In the medical documentation, complete information about the violent incident has to be entered including the circumstances preceding the violent situation. If it comes to judicial proceedings, it is not admissible to give evidence about something that was done or said, if it is not documented. We do not want to say to enter every contact with the patient into the documentation, but it is advantageous in any case. Therefore, it is good to document communication acts as a whole at the beginning of the conflict, its process and end, but above all what preceded the behaviour (Mach, 2010).