Abstract
Introduction
Complex personal duress alarms may be implemented as part of a multicomponent approach
to preventing and mitigating workplace violence in emergency departments. Evaluation
of duress alarms after implementation has been identified as a gap in the literature.
The purpose of this quality improvement project was to examine the impact of a duress
alarm system on workplace violence and user experience in an urban emergency department.
Methods
A comprehensive system evaluation was performed using a mixed-methods approach, which
included retrospective data review, key informant interviews, observations, and a
survey. Forty clinical staff at an emergency department in North Carolina were interviewed
and provided feedback on the duress system.
Results
Findings indicated that the duress system was not associated with a decrease in workplace
violence, and that the majority of clinical staff did not even wear the duress alarm.
Staff indicated that the primary barriers to use of the alarm were the bulky design
of the alarm badge, inadequate education about the alarm device and process, and the
lack of a reliable and timely response from security.
Discussion
Ongoing engagement of clinical staff is critical to the success of health care technology
implementations. Staff feedback, periodic re-education, and recurring process evaluations
are vital to ensuring the continued relevance of systems, especially when staff safety
is the intended purpose.
Key words
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Biography
Meredith A. Carr is a Nursing Informatics System Specialist and Emergency Nurse, Duke University Health System, Durham, NC
Biography
Anne Derouin is a Professor and Assistant Dean MSN Program, Duke University School of Nursing, Durham, NC
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© 2023 Emergency Nurses Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
