Abstract for presentation at Australian and New Zealand College of Mental Health Nurses 32nd Annual International Conference

This workshop will present the latest City University research work on the exercise of power and control by staff in acute psychiatry, with particular reference to the management of violence and aggression. There will be a number of brief presentations of challenging research results, followed by opportunities to engage in discussion, reflection, and some pre-designed exercises in small groups. The specific topics covered are likely to include: "is inpatient psychiatry really dangerous?", "what manual restraint is really used for", "can we be certain that prevention and management of violence courses for staff reduce patient aggression?", "habitual and unconscious coercive manoeuvres", "what do patients think about ward rules", "what determines nurses attitudes to restrictive measures" and "what is an effective ward structure". This list is likely to be updated dependent on new findings between the time of writing and the conference. Participants will emerge having subjected the clinical practice of themselves and others to critical scrutiny within a confidential and supportive environment.