Reducing violence and aggression in the emergency department.

Emergency department (ED) staff, particularly nursing students and inexperienced nurses, are at risk of violence and aggression from patients. However, by reflecting on violent incidents, nurses can gain new knowledge, improve their practice and prepare themselves for similar incidents. This article refers to the Gibbs reflective cycle to analyse a violent incident involving a patient with mental health and alcohol-dependence problems that occurred in the author's ED. It also identifies strategies for nurses to pre-empt and defuse violent situations.