De-escalation techniques help keep ED staff safe

Lessons shared by experts in emergency medicine and psychiatry are helping providers at Parkland Health and Hospital System, Dallas, de-escalate threatening patient encounters to keep emergency department (ED) staff safe. De-escalation begins with assessing the patient’s level of agitation. Reassuring patients they are in a safe environment and staff are there to help comes next. Strong verbal and non-verbal communication skills and attentive listening are key to successful de-escalation. Parkland uses a violence assessment tool during triage to screen every ED patient and trains nurses in self-defense as well as de-escalation tactics. (Nurse.com article, 2/21/22)