Learning for nurses from a cross-sectional quantitative analysis of youth engagement in an emergency department-based violence reduction scheme

Background: Multi-agency public health interventions to address violence, including hospital-based initiatives, are increasingly being implemented. Nurses occupy a critical early-intervention role, identifying at-risk individuals, facilitating referral to community support and contributing to ongoing care pathways. However, evidence relating specifically to children and young people remains limited. Aims: To examine the relationships between age, referral reasons, engagement and Emergency Department (ED) reattendance of the multi-site Hospital Navigator scheme implemented in five EDs in the United Kingdom. Methods: Two hundred and nineteen participants (6-24 years) presenting to EDs with violent injuries or vulnerabilities associated with violence (including mental health needs, substance misuse or homelessness) participated between March 2021 and July 2022. Variables included age, index ED attendance reason, scheme referral reason, engagement and future ED reattendance. Descriptive and exploratory analyses were undertaken. Results: Mental health and violence were the most common referral reasons. Over half (55%) engaged with the scheme, most on a short-term basis, with younger participants less likely to engage. Although most (87.7%) did not reattend the ED, mental health was the predominant reason for those who did. Conclusions: Policy and practice should prioritise EDs as early-intervention hubs, embedding Hospital Navigator Schemes and co-locating voluntary sector partners, with nurse-led coordination.