SPIT AT....AGAIN!

Specialties Emergency

Published

I am so tired of being spit on by patients! We all know the aggressive, out of control patients that spit. You're attempting four point restraints, they're growling snarling, someone holds their head so you won't get bit as 10 people try to restrain the maniac then comes the sound.....hawk! That I-am-collecting-a-large-loogey-in-the-back-of-my-throat-to-hit-you-in-the-face-with-sound. Anybody have a solution. Clearly regular masks don't work because they thrash around, get them dislodged, plus you risk being bitten while placing it. I was thinking bipap but it's pretty hard to get an order for bipap because someone is violent. Anyone come up with a solution for spitters? They're pretty hard to control. Our psych population has been unusually high lately for the summer and my fuse is wearing short.

Specializes in ER.
Hmmm...not all, fit young men have great veins. The one that ate his IV?....it was a 24 in the wrist. Secondly, most of my pts buck unexpectedly, otherwise I would be dressed in PPD rendering spit irrelevent. I don't think my microphone is working. Wish everyone could take a turn in my ED.

please don't think that "your ED" is any more "amazing" than most. We all have our amazing patients.

It should be legal for a face mask to be placed over patient face/mouth to protect us. They sure do it when you work in intake prisions. I am sorry you had to go through this horrible experience. We should be able to taze. I bet that behavior will stop then we have RESPECT

Specializes in Emergency.
um, I think "most" of us DO understand the image you're trying to paint, because we've been there. And by the way, I'm more than capable of handing an elbow to a neck or sitting on a patient far more effectively than "most men" that respond to these ED patients. What a comment. Shouldn't underestimate a fit and strong nurse. Most ER nurses are more than capable - it's gender stereotyping that irritates the crap outta me. If you are capable of effectively restraining a patient is the issue, not being male or female, so don't make it about that. If you're weak and have no business participating in restraining, then own it. If you're unable to for whatever reason, that's fine, but don't label that even "all guys" couldn't tame that beast. It's just laughable.

I don't think that all guys have more heart, energy, or will than me. It's just that all guys that I work with weigh more than me so when they sit on someone it makes more of an impact than me :)

Guess your experience is different. :D

Specializes in Emergency.
please don't think that "your ED" is any more "amazing" than most. We all have our amazing patients.

I'm beginning to take this personally. Is there something else bothering you? I am just thinking there must be since you are taking time to respond to so much of what I say. I'm sure many disagree with me as well, just as I disagree with others, but you don't have to verbalize it all the time. I think the point I was trying inarticulately to make is that a simple face mask isn't going to cut it with the pt I have in mind, although people repeatedly suggest it. I don't necessarily think my ER is amazing. Actually, quite the opposite. That said take a breath or a nap,whatever.

Specializes in Emergency.
More so we protect ourselves by wearing masks and eye covers. Until we can get them calmed down(Chemically,Physically or if need be tubed)

I've heard of this. Your hospital supports intubation for someone who is violent? I am jealous.

Specializes in Emergency.
Last time one of my illustrious co-workers uttered the "Q" word, she got pooped on (it looked like a porta potty got dumped on her), a cat fell through our ceiling tiles, and a hi-ball glass stuck in the rectum walked in thru triage.

A cat in the ceiling? Makes me think of that episode of the office!

Specializes in Emergency & Trauma/Adult ICU.
I've heard of this. Your hospital supports intubation for someone who is violent? I am jealous.

Ah ... now I see where you're coming from. You work in an ER with docs who don't "support" tubing someone who has not responded to all other reasonable means of chilling them out, and they are still ER patients, not yet admitted to a psych unit with a nice seclusion room or other means of containing them.

That's very unfortunate.

All 3 ERs I have worked in ... someone that physically out of control after 15-30 min. of other interventions ... gets tubed.

I'm now kinda curious to do a literature search to see what might be out there, but off the top of my head, you could certainly make the case that the enormous amounts of staff resources consumed by these patients call for other solutions.

Specializes in ER, NICU.
A cat in the ceiling? Makes me think of that episode of the office!

It was a big, dirty, scary, homeless, cat, ran around hissing and climbed up the curtains. The patients got freaked, some pulled of their leads. It was comical. All we needed was Dwight Shrute!

Specializes in ER.
I'm beginning to take this personally. Is there something else bothering you? I am just thinking there must be since you are taking time to respond to so much of what I say. I'm sure many disagree with me as well, just as I disagree with others, but you don't have to verbalize it all the time. I think the point I was trying inarticulately to make is that a simple face mask isn't going to cut it with the pt I have in mind, although people repeatedly suggest it. I don't necessarily think my ER is amazing. Actually, quite the opposite. That said take a breath or a nap,whatever.

you're right. Sometimes it's best not to respond to even the most asinine posts. I couldn't help myself. My bad.

Specializes in ER.
I don't think that all guys have more heart, energy, or will than me. It's just that all guys that I work with weigh more than me so when they sit on someone it makes more of an impact than me :)

Guess your experience is different. :D

hardy har har. I like having the big guys helping out too, just as they appreciate my help.

yeah, "fit" meant "fat" to you. Whatever.

Specializes in Clinical Research, Outpt Women's Health.

And there you have it. The poison that inhibits nursing and keeps us all down.

Instead of uniting about the fact that it is completely inappropriate to be spat on for doing your job, and that there need to be national standards and protocols about how to deal with it we get one nursing turning on another and implying that it is a lack of something in the other nurse causing her to be abused.....:smokin:

Specializes in ER.

" implying that it is a lack of something in the other nurse causing her to be abused.....:smokin: "

crunchrn, i never implied or stated any such thing.

re-read my posts.

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