The incidence of serious workplace violence is three times higher in health care settings than in other workplaces. Most frequently, nurses are the victims and patients are the main perpetrators. It's believed that education on aggression management can give nurses the necessary tools to prevent and respond to workplace violence. For this reason, a review of the literature from the past 10 years was conducted to determine the effect of deescalation education on clinical outcomes, such as the incidence and severity of violence, and on nurses' aggression management knowledge and performance.

Seven original research papers on topics including prevention, assessment, intervention, and postevent coping were analyzed. The Kirkpatrick four-level evaluation model was used to assess how education on aggression management affected acute care nurses. The benefits of education included improvements in nurses' knowledge, skills, and confidence related to aggression management. Improved clinical outcomes included an increase in the reporting of aggressive incidents in one study and a decrease in the incidence and severity of violence in another.

The evidence suggests that the specific needs of the patient population and the historical trends of workplace violence on each unit should be considered when planning an aggression management program. In addition, the program should include both didactic content and the opportunity to practice management skills using real case studies pertinent to the population served.

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