Anger, Hostility, and Aggression Flashcards
Anger
- a feeling that everyone experiences
- important to recognize anger, express, and manage angry feelings in a positive manner
- assertive communication
- practice your “I” statements
anger that is expressed inappropriately or suppressed can lead to hostility or aggression
Hostility
emotion expressed through:
- verbal abuse
- lack of cooperation
- violation of rules or norms
- threatening behavior
behavior intending to intimidate or cause emotional harm
Physical Aggression
-behavior that is meant to harm, punish, or force into compliance another person
person attacks or injures another person or destroys property
Catharsis
means for release of anger
ex) hitting a punching bag, screaming into pillow
Anger/Hostility and Medical Complications
associated with CAD and HTN
Defense w/ Anger/Aggression
- acting out: behavioral expression of emotions
- person deals w/ emotional conflicts through actions rather than reflection or feelings
common in children and adolescence
Aggression: Etiology
Neurobiologic theories:
- low serotonin
- increased dopamine and norepinephrine
- damage to limbic system
Psychosocial theories:
- toddlers = tantrums (expected development)
- growth and develop impulse control
- dysfunctional parenting and inconsistent response to behaviors = may result in more impulsivity, decreased frustration tolerance
Stages of Aggression
triggering phase escalation phase crisis phase recovery phase postcrisis phase
Triggering Phase
incident that initiates the aggressive response
assessment:
- subtle change in behavior
- increased irritability
- pacing/restlessness
Escalation Phase
escalating behavior that is moving toward loss of control
intervention: show of force (staff will control the situation if the client cannot)
assessment:
- flushed face
- punching fists
- loss of ability to solve the problem clearly
Intervention during first two phases:
prevent the behavior from becoming aggressive (intervene early)
Crisis Phase
client becomes physically aggressive
loss of ability to:
- perceive events accurately
- express feelings appropriately
- solve problems
- control behavior
intervention: safety! security, seclusion, restraints (think least restrictive intervention first, and here we need safety)
assessment:
- breaking things
- fighting/punching
- yelling/screaming
Recovery Phase
the client regains physical and emotional control
assessment:
- lowering voice
- deceased muscle tension
- can communicate better
intervention:
-help client relax/get some sleep
Postcrisis Phase
client attempts reconciliation w/ others and returns to previous level of functioning
assessment:
- show of remorse
- crying
- becoming upset upon reflection of the incident
intervention:
- remove from seclusion/restraints
- give feedback on behavior
- give education on how to handle situation better (expression of emotions)
Debriefing
occurs especially after crisis phase occurs
documentation of incident, nursing interventions implemented
discuss event w/ coworkers and evaluate effectiveness of nursing interventions and what could have been done differently
