Using Responsive Behaviour Language and De-Escalation Strategies in the ICU to Improve Staff and Patient Safety Amanda Keating RN, BN St. Michael’s Hospital, Unity Health Toronto
FOCUS This project aligns with the following RNAO Best Practice Guidelines: • Preventing and Managing Violence in the Workplace • Delirium, Dementia, and Depression in Older Adults: Assessment and Care • Promoting Safety: Alternative Approaches to the Use of Restraints • Engaging with Clients who Use Substances
BACKGROUND
• Responsive behaviours, “… is a term that is often preferred by persons with dementia, mental health, substance use and/or other neurological disorders to describe how their actions words and gestures are a response to something important in their personal, social or physical environment.” (Alzheimer Society of Ontario, 2017) • Responsive behaviours, “…may have an identifiable pattern, such as occurring at a specific time of day, after a particular activity, or with a specific person.” (Wolf, Goldberg & Freedman, 2018) • Identifying the potential triggers of the behavior can lead to appropriate treatment, understanding the communication of the patient, and therefore decreasing the frequency of the behavior. • Medical Surgical Intensive Care Unit (MSICU) patients exhibit responsive behaviours and staff need more education to prevent and manage responsive behaviours in patients. • At St. Michael's Hospital (SMH), the Managing Responsive Behaviours (MRB) program, inclusive of tools and processes, has been implemented in all inpatient units but not in critical care areas. • The aim of this initiative is to develop and implement tools and processes to reflect the needs of MSICU patients exhibiting responsive behaviours.
PROCESS
Literature review and internal scan
TOOLS
Figure 1: MSICU MRB Algorithm
• Literature found was not often based on the critical care setting. • Reviewed existing tools and materials being used in other units throughout the hospital and assessed their applicability for MSICU’s patient population and nursing workflow. • Liaised with subject matter experts from other disciplines and units with regard to management strategies for responsive behaviours.
Assessment of knowledge gaps of MSICU staff
• Created a survey for MSICU RNs to identify knowledge gaps, areas of improvement, and learning needs of the staff. • Adapted the corporate algorithm in response to survey results, MSICU patient population, and MSICU workflow. • Adapted assessment and documentation tools from other units to one documentation tool that facilitates the identification of responsive behaviour risk factors, triggers, and allows for the tracking of behaviours and successful interventions.
Staff education
• An education presentation was created for staff RNs, on the topic of responsive behaviours and interventions to manage them. This presentation provided the opportunity to introduce the created algorithm and tool to the staff.
Pre- Survey
Figure 2: MSICU MRB Care Plan
• 48 completed surveys received, a response rate of 34%. • Survey consisted of multiple choice and free text answers.
Purpose • Identify learning needs of staff and provide education on the prevention, identification, and management of responsive behaviours in the MSICU.
Objectives: • Staff were knowledgeable and able to identify the majority of the interventions used for patients displaying responsive behaviours. • Staff identified that we have many assessment tools, but nothing to guide the staff on what the next steps are, or a clear pathway for management of this specific patient group. Staff requested an algorithm of interventions.
• Continue to provide education until completed with all full time and part time staff. • Finalize draft of algorithm and assessment/documentation tool. • Trial the use of both algorithm and assessment/documentation tool with patients with a history of, or current presentation of responsive behaviours. • An end-user survey will be given to the staff RN of the selected patients, to assess the usability of the algorithm and tool. • Based on results of end user survey, will make changes to the tool and algorithm. • During education sessions, staff requested for an alert sign or symbol for patients displaying responsive behaviours. The goal for this alert is to decrease the risk of behavioural events, and improve safety for staff who are not familiar with this patient. We may adopt 9CC’s current symbol, the “purple diamond”, to maintain consistency throughout the hospital. This symbol will be posted outside of the patient space, such as door to room, to alert all hospital staff to check with RN before entering room.
REFERENCES
PURPOSE & OBJECTIVES
• Conduct a literature review and internal scan of practices in other units. • Assess the gaps in staff knowledge about responsive behaviours. • Create tools for MSICU staff to facilitate the identification and management of responsive behaviours, and to develop patientspecific care plans.
• The MSICU tools were developed based on pre-survey results, review of existing SMH tools and review of literature. • Currently, education has been provided to 66 RNs, 47% of full time and part time staff RNs. • Staff education sessions have introduced the language of “responsive behaviours” into the unit practice. • Education sessions allow staff the opportunity to bring up questions about the presentation and concerns/suggestions with the algorithm and assessment/documentation tool.
NEXT STEPS
Development of tools to support MSICU practice
RESULTS
CONCLUSION
• The goal for use of these tools are to identify any patterns of behaviours, effective interventions, and assist in creating patient specific care plans. • “Because every patient is different and how the patient will respond to a given strategy is unknown, ongoing monitoring of the intervention’s effectiveness is imperative.” (Wolf et al., 2018)
• Alzheimer Society of Ontario. (2017). What are responsive behaviours. Retrieved from https://alzheimer.ca/en/on/We-canhelp/Resources/Shifting-Focus/What-are-responsive-behaviours • Hallett, N. (2018). Preventing and managing challenging behavior. Nursing Standard, 32(26), 51-63. • RNAO. (n.d.). Guidelines. Retrieved from https://rnao.ca/bpg/guidelines • Toronto Academic Health Science Network. (2016). Person Centered Language for Responsive Behaviours. 1-15. • Wolf, M. U., Goldberg, Y., & Freedman, M. (2018). Aggression and agitation in dementia. Continuum Journal, 24(3), 783-803.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Brigitte Delaurier RN, MN, CACCN (C) Cecilia Santiago RN, MN, CACCN (C) Melissa Guiyab RN, MN