[hpcat]

I'm also in NY, on Long Island, my psych instructor was talking about this the other day - she said how often a bunch of policemen will drag an agitated patient into her psych hospital and leave him to her care - just her, by her lone little self. If that patient hauled off and hit the cops, he'd go to jail, but if he hit her, probably nothing.

I can understand the potential for violence with psych patients, but the idea that a patient on a non-psych floor could beat up a nurse and not be punished is ridiculous - walking thru the hospital doors does not excuse you from the laws of society.

[hpcat]

Oh, and one more thing... as far as psych patients, the hospitals need to offer reasonable assistance to the psych staff when dealing with violent patients. Where I'm doing my psych clinical now, they have a limited staff - they call security and some skinny 90 year old security guard shows up to take down that 6'6" 300 lb. guy who's going off.