“I Didn't Realise It Still Impacted Me, but Obviously, It Still Does:” Personal Outcomes of Code Grey Events for Healthcare Professionals

Abstract

ABSTRACT Aim To explore the personal effects of aggression and violence towards healthcare professionals, specifically before, during and after Code Grey events. Design Qualitative descriptive study design. Methods Semi‐structured interviews were conducted with 35 healthcare professionals, including 33 nurses, analysed using a reflexive thematic analysis approach and reported in accordance with the Consolidated Checklist for Reporting Qualitative Data (CORE‐Q) guidelines. Findings Three themes emerged during data analysis: (1) You're a tough nurse, you'll be fine: The long‐term personal impact of Code Grey events, (2) I just hope there's a solution to stop all this abuse: Feeling a responsibility for staff and patients during the Code Grey event, and (3) It's just a nice, beautiful circle of terribleness: Issues related to the response adding to the impact of the Code Grey event. Participants in our study described ongoing burnout related to Code Grey responses, and aggression and violence generally. They also reported that Code Grey events caused fear and significant disruption to their work, with concerns about their safety when faced with situations requiring a Code Grey response. Conclusion Occupational aggression and violence are substantial issues in contemporary healthcare settings. Not only must healthcare services equip clinical staff with the skills necessary to prevent Code Grey events, but they must also be mindful that these events can have a lasting impact on healthcare professionals. Patient or Public Contribution This study did not include patient or public involvement in its design, conduct or reporting.