Evaluation of the Broset Violence Risk Assessment Checklist in the Emergency Department at Vanderbilt Wilson County Hospital

Abstract

Purpose: To evaluate ED staff’s use of the Broset Violence Checklist (BVC) in the emergency department (ED) since March 2023. Methods: Vanderbilt Wilson County Hospital (VWCH ED) staff answered the following evaluation questions about their use of the BVC during the time period of March 2023 – April 2024:

Do you use the BVC to improve patients' prediction of VWCH ED? Do you use the BVC score to determine medical interventions that mitigate patient agitation or violence in the ED? Rate the usefulness of the BVC score to inform the care you provide to patients in the ED? (Likert Scale 1 – 5) Free text: What barriers do you experience in using BVC? Free text: How could using the BVC improve in the ED? Results: Survey results indicated that while some ED staff find the BVC useful in predicting and managing patent violent behaviors, significant barriers and variability exist. Barriers of BVC use include: Time Administrative support Suggestions to improve the use of the BVC include: Standardization of BVC implementation Integration with medical interventions Enhancement of staff training about the use of the BVC score when caring for patients in the ED Linkage of BVC scores to clinical decision-making, treatment plans, and PRN orders Implications for Practice: Addressing barriers and improving the use of BVC scores could enhance use and contribute to reducing occupational violence in the ED. Evaluation and feedback mechanisms for staff should be ongoing to optimize the use of the BVC at the VWCH ED.