Patient Bites Nurse's Fingertip Off - Page 7

The question is broader than this one incident and untamedspirit - an excellent letter. Perhaps we should all take time to write - just a few words to this reporter or better yet to a rival network if someone would be so kind as to provide links to rivals I am sure we could come up with a few pertinent words.

The real issue goes beyond one nurse, one state, one nation. The question we must ask is can society afford to set up a situation where one group (healthcare professionals) can be the target of violence without the recourse of self-defence. If this is accepted what would ensue?

Would the current level of violence against healthcare professionals escalate to the point where _ but it is almost there already - the violence is causing us to lose staff from stress, illness and disillusionment. Will this then lead hospitals to refuse to see patients who are violent. Will there be not just security officers but armed guards in every ER?

The reporter on this story has a lot to answer for - he cannot be allowed to send the message that it is OK for a nurse to be hurt in this way. It does not matter what the following story would be what the violent and less intelligent members of society will remember - this first and take it as a signal that it is open slather on nurses.

I will be emailing him voicing my concerns.

Igflamini - yes I would go to the court room along with every other off-duty nurse and anyone else you can round up and I would sit there row after row arms crossed set looks on your faces giving the message. No need for placards and vocal demonstrations just the silent message - we are here to see REAL justice done.

I would also consider a letter to my local member of parliment or equivalent asking him/her this very question - can we afford to let the message that ti is permissable to be violent o nurses go out.

it is against the law to assault verbally or physically a stewardess / steward on an airplane but it is open season on a healthcare worker. time to stick up for ourselves.

Against the law to physically assault anyone -- yet this nurse is under fire for protecting herself. Yes, as nurses, we have high standards and hospital protocals. If she didn't follow them - or her supervisor didn't - she/they will be called on it. There is a reason for hospital protocals. That being said, wonder what the news reporters, nurse consultants, lawyers would have done if a patient bit their fingertip off. This is so awful -- love to see a high profile lawyer take this case and make the big-time news. Aargh!

Laura, here is a website dedicated to the problem of workplace violence against nurses, I don't know why I didn't think of it before:


www.nurseadvocate.org


Also, I contacted the center for nursing advocacy regarding this issue. Their mission is to protect the image of nurses in the media. Unfortunately, they are unable to get involved because there is pending legislation in this instance and they don't generally comment on those cases. But I still think their cause is a great one so check them out too:


www.nursingadvocacy.org

There was an article in Nursing magazine not too awful long ago dealing with workplace violence and particularly violence in the ED. I will see if I can't dig up the magazine; I keep all of the issues.

darn mom: I find this particularly interesting. Before becoming a nurse I worked for several years in the criminal justice field. Since becoming a nurse, I have also worked as a nurse within a prison.
As security at an all male prison, one of my duties was to escort prisoners to medical for checkups, appts, etc. No matter how vehemently my presence was protested, I had to remain with the inmate at all time for security purposes. Frequently that meant that I was present when the men (I am female) had to undress in order to be examined. Quite often the inmates had c/o various things that involved their genitalia and therefore I saw it all. It would have been a serious infraction for me to leave an inmate unsupervised within the medical facility. Sometimes inmates were sent to hospitals and if you were assigned to go with them at least on member of the security team had to be present at all times regardless of what procedures the hospital staff needed to do.
Now as a nurse at a prison, I was not allowed to be in contact with any inmate unless security was there. I can understand how this can impede upon their privacy, but the first rule when dealing with inmates is that all inmates are "the prisons inmates first and medical's patients second". I can't tell you how many times I've heard that speech.
I can't say for sure that anything "wrong" was done by you being left alone with an inmate because regulations do vary. BUT I can not imagine their being too much leanience with this particular rule. I think that the police that brought that woman there and left you with her made a serious mistake, even if that is what you requested. It is not your job to know security guidelines; it is their job. Again, I firmly believe that they should have never left that woman unattended. I could be wrong, but I believe they were negligent in doing so.