Lunch and Learn: Acute behavioural disturbances

Severe agitation or aggression that doesn't de-escalate with verbal intervention and places the patient or others at risk can be categorised as acute behavioural disturbance (ABD). This is a common and time-critical presentation in prehospital, emergency and acute care. ABD is a clinical presentation rather than a diagnosis, and the underlying cause may be medical, substance-related, psychological, or a combination of factors.

Course overview 

This 30 minute case-based webinar provides a structured, person-centred approach to the acutely agitated patient. Timed to World Mental Health Day, it also considers the language and stigma that shape care, and reflects current Australian and New Zealand guidance on graded de-escalation, safe sedation and the minimisation of restraint. 

What you will learn 

• How to recognise ABD and work through its differential, including reversible medical causes and substance intoxication and withdrawal
• A graded, trauma-informed and culturally safe approach to de-escalation
• Principles of safe pharmacological sedation and post-sedation monitoring, including agent choice and use of the Sedation Assessment Tool
• Why the term ‘excited delirium’ has been withdrawn, and what contemporary, non-stigmatising practice looks like 

Why you should attend 

The session is case-based and applicable at the bedside and in the prehospital environment. It supports safer care for patients and staff and is relevant to nurses and paramedics across emergency, acute, critical care and retrieval settings, as well as to medical practitioners who encounter acute agitation. 

Testimonials

 The course was informative, engaging, and relevant to clinical practice. It improved my understanding of acute behavioural disturbances and provided useful knowledge on patient safety, therapeutic communication, and de-escalation techniques. I would recommend it to my colleagues because these skills are essential in providing safe, effective, and compassionate patient care.

The most beneficial part of the program was learning how to recognize and manage acute behavioral changes and understanding the importance of proper communication, patient safety, and compassionate nursing care.

The information was relevant and really helpful in the clinical setting.

I really enjoyed the quality of the presentation, the information and the way it was delivered. I believe this has been beneficial for myself and patients I may come into contact with. I think this type of activity would be beneficial to my colleagues.

Always find lunch and learn seminars presented well and very informative.