Staff who work in the health service are now recognized as a high-risk group for assault in the workplace. Recently, professional and industrial organizations have begun to suggest appropriate curricula for training staff in aggression management. However, there is currently a plethora of aggression management training programs (AMP) available, varying both in content and in duration. In this paper, 28 programs were evaluated against 13 major content areas derived from the recommendations made from key professional and industrial organizations, and what may be today considered appropriate/ideal content areas for AMP. Information on programs available in English was sought via standard databases, the Internet, program providers, and through networking with colleagues and professional organizations. The majority of the programs reviewed covered personal safety issues for staff and patients, together with legal issues. The use of restraint, pharmacological management of aggression and seclusion were features of programs specifically addressing the needs of health care staff in mental health settings. Most programs appeared not to address the psychological and organizational costs associated with aggression in the workplace. This is surprising since the literature suggests that the effects of violence are wide and varied, including increased absenteeism and sick leave, property damage, decreased productivity, security costs, litigation, workers' compensation, reduced job satisfaction together with recruitment and retention issues. Also, few programs were based on a systematic evaluation of their outcomes. Suggestions for program development and their teaching are discussed.

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Better preparation and support are needed for students on placements involving residents with dementia. Feasible strategies for more effective support include increased curriculum content about caring for people with dementia, and improved collaboration between university schools of nursing and settings for care of older people.

Pressure injuries are key clinical indicators of care standard. In Australia, pressure injuries increase length of hospital stay by 4.31 and cost $285 million annually. This pilot study examined the effectiveness of sacral dressing in reducing the prevalence of pressure injuries in older, high-risk patients. A non randomised one-sample experimental design was used in this study comprising of four phases. Of the 51 patients recruited to the study, one patient developed a sacral pressure injury compared to six patients identified in a known group with similar demographics who were not approached to participate in the study. The results indicated that patients in the known group were 5.4 times more likely to develop a pressure injury than the intervention group. Findings suggest that applying a protective sacral dressing with a low shear backing as part of a simple standardised prevention injury prevention regime commencing in the Emergency Department was beneficial in the prevention of pressure injury in older 'at high risk' medical patients.

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