Examining Awareness Of Adult Safeguarding Practices In Acute Hospitals: A Survey Of HSE Dublin And South East Hospital Network Staff

Abstract

Background The investigation of, and interventions on, the alleged or suspected abuse of older people has become an important feature of professional practice in Ireland. This implies important organisational responsibilities in ensuring that adult safeguarding responsibilities are delivered in ways that ensure positive outcomes for all stakeholders. Many factors can influence staff responses to concerns in acute care contexts. These can relate to awareness of the many forms of abuse and reporting obligations, attitudes to adult safeguarding and understanding the impact of abuse. Acute hospitals offer unique opportunities to identify and intervene in abusive situations and to offer support to those at risk. This study set out to explore the awareness and attitudes towards safeguarding practices of staff in the HSE Dublin and Southeast Acute Hospital Network. Methods A quantitative, descriptive study design was adopted, which utilised a cross-sectional online survey of hospital staff from the 10 participating hospitals. This generated 230 responses from a variety of hospital staff, including nurses, doctors and health and social care professionals Results Findings indicate that acute care staff have varying levels of awareness of different categories of abuse. 32% of respondents reported being ‘very confident’ in recognising suspected harm, abuse or neglect of an adult patient, with 36% of respondents reporting being ‘somewhat confident in reporting abuse. Barriers to identification and reporting included a lack of time, lack of confidence in skills and the victim being confused/cognitively impaired. 61% of respondents reported being ‘extremely confident’ or ‘very confident’ that their organisation would handle concerns about abuse carried out by a staff member in accordance with safeguarding policy. Conclusion Many staff in acute care contexts lack confidence and knowledge in detecting and reporting the abuse of adults at risk. This study clearly indicates the need for further adult safeguarding training and the need for quality improvement initiatives.