Safety, risk, and aggression: Health professionals' experiences of caring for people affected by methamphetamine when presenting for emergency care

Title
Safety, risk, and aggression: Health professionals' experiences of caring for people affected by methamphetamine when presenting for emergency care
Publication Date
2017
Author(s)
Usher, Kim
( author )
OrcID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9686-5003
Email: kusher@une.edu.au
UNE Id une-id:kusher
Jackson, Debra
Woods, Cindy
( author )
OrcID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5790-069X
Email: cwood30@une.edu.au
UNE Id une-id:cwood30
Sayers, Jan
Kornhaber, Rachel
Cleary, Michelle
Type of document
Journal Article
Language
en
Entity Type
Publication
Publisher
Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Asia
Place of publication
Australia
DOI
10.1111/inm.12345
UNE publication id
une:22440
Abstract
The crystalline form of methamphetamine, commonly known as crystal meth (crystal methamphetamine) or ICE, is a highly-addictive and powerful stimulant. Users of crystal meth often require emergency care, and are associated with a substantial burden of care by emergency care providers. The aim of the present qualitative study was to explore health professionals' experiences of providing care for patients affected by ICE who presented to the emergency department (ED). Nine semistructured interviews were conducted. The major theme, 'staying safe', was revealed, in which participants described their experiences of being exposed to potentially unsafe situations, and their responses to challenging behaviours, including aggression. The findings highlight the need for ED staff to understand the nature of ICE use and its adverse impact on the mental and physical health of users. Furthermore, it is clear that establishing and maintaining safety in the emergency care setting is of utmost importance, and should be a priority for health-care managers.
Link
Citation
International Journal of Mental Health Nursing, 26(5), p. 437-444
ISSN
1447-0349
1445-8330
Start page
437
End page
444

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