RNs / Student nurses slapped in the face

[sofia*26]

Just happen to stumble into this particular article...

http://www.nurseinaustralia.com/nursing-student-slapped-in-the-face/

Having been able to work for 2 years both at a hospital and a clinic, i've had a few encounters of patients who were totally verbally abusive and demanding. Personally, experiences like this adds up to the big responsibility vested on the shoulders of the nurses in the workplace. Though we are being taught at nursing schools the proper attitude or values nurses must possess, incidents like this can really test our patience especially if you've already had a whole bad and tiring day at work..

But so far, i've never had any experience yet of being physically harmed by my patient and i'm not waiting or desiring for it to happen t0 me.. what are your thoughts about this article?.. is there anybody who experienced some form of physical harm by their patients?!

[chicookie, BSN, RN]

I have been run into/ tackled. Well he wasn't a patient but it was at the hospital. (for more reference look up Stalked and Tackled: The Chicookie Story. LOL)

I've had someone grab my boob. I've been kicked and I have been almost slapped. These I have forgiven because the patient was a lil bit off their rocker. But I've been poked in my face, even though that does not seem like much, the patients family member got a ear full. I do not allow people threatening me or raising their voices at me, I don't care who they are. They are not even close to me to say that they can treat me that way. If they were close to me, they would know better than doing that.

[sicushells, RN]

Oh I have been pinched, spit at, swatted at, and the one that took my breath away was a little old lady who put her size 7 right square into my stomach. Didn't see that coming. I was so mad. I wasn't thinking and I stammered as I placed her leg back in the bed, "DONT KICK ME I am pregnant!" She just looked at me. "Well not for long if I can help it." I had to leave the room. I wasn't pregnant but I could have been and we had been tiptoeing around her all day. It just came out, and though she couldn't admit it, it did make her think. Ya gotta watch yer back-and yer front in nursing....

Confused little old ladys are evil!! That's happened to a nurse I work with who was visibly pregnant too. These same ladies would be perfectly nice if they were in their right minds.

[CrufflerJJ, BSN, RN, EMT-P]

i've had one article on this subject bookmarked for years. see:

http://archive.salon.com/news/feature/2001/07/27/nurses/index.html

the war against nurses

assaults on r.n.s are at an all-time high, but many who complain or seek help lose their jobs as hospitals blame the victims.

this article was interesting from a number of standpoints:

" in general, hospital administrators reportedly have little interest in investigating assaults, which they know will mean high costs in insurance, workers' compensation and public relations, lanza says. all too often, nurses refrain from reporting assaults for fear of being blamed or losing their livelihood."

"like many, she has felt stigmatized by hospital management after the attack, considered a "defective" worker. her psychiatrist, in fact, warned her not to tell management that she sought counseling after the attack if she wished to keep her job. "don't tell them you were in therapy or on psychiatric medication, because they can fire you for it," he told her."

not too nice at all.

[Tait, MSN, RN]

I had a patient tell me "if I had a shotgun I would take it out and shoot you" because he had fallen asleep after some mild complaints of catheter discomfort, and I didn't get him an order for pyridium until later in the shift.

Tait

[taeran]

Hi, thanks for stumbling my site! :) It's still rather new....

The funny thing about this slappage etc is that you don't really find out about it or how prevalent it is until you work as a nurse, or have long clinical blocks etc as a student....

Ah well, all part and parcel I spose!

-Ross

[Batman24]

We all have the right to work in a safe environment and to be protected against violence. There is a vast difference between someone not of sound mind and someone rude and angry looking to be abusive. I have compassion for the former and would press assault charges against the latter. You are of sound mind and hit me I am calling the police. Period.

If the person is legitimately confused due to illness or injury you can still protect yourselves. Taking in an additional person can work wonders and it is a necessity.

[pyrazen]

Sorry but I gotta say it again.

Write to all congresspersons & even the President! Let them know we want people who assault us to get in as much trouble as they would for assaulting a police officer. People want us to be waiting in the hospital when they need us, & we are obligated to help them when they get there just as police officers are obligated.

Write them frequently.

If we all did this it would get the attention it deserves, & if we could get a bill passed, it might make the public stop hurting us!

I get pretty tired of taking abuse, both physical & verbal.

[ghillbert, MSN, NP]

If we all did this it would get the attention it deserves, & if we could get a bill passed, it might make the public stop hurting us!

No offense, but how exactly do you think a bill would prevent a sick/confused/demented person from being violent?

[PostOpPrincess, BSN, RN]

There is no excuse for ANY abuse unless it is done unintentionally i.e. under the effects of drugs.

Otherwise, it would be "Mr. Smith, meet my lawyer."

[Moogie]

No offense, but how exactly do you think a bill would prevent a sick/confused/demented person from being violent?

It wouldn't but it might offer some type of protection for health care personnel who are the victims of patient violence. I mean, I was written up for getting beaten up. The facility at which I was employed at the time was fully aware of this person's documented history of violence against staff---yet it offered no protection when someone was hurt.

The facility's actions were purely CYA and morally wrong. I ended up leaving my job because of the way I was treated. I have no recourse against the facility. Should there not be a penalty for negligence on the part of a facility that will permit its workers to be treated in such a manner?

Please understand---I do not blame the person who hit me. Not at all. But I do blame the institution for not providing adequate care, adequate staffing and making sure that the workers are safe.

And it makes my blood boil to realize that what happened to me is not uncommon. :angryfire

[Moogie]

Oh I have been pinched, spit at, swatted at, and the one that took my breath away was a little old lady who put her size 7 right square into my stomach. Didn't see that coming. I was so mad. I wasn't thinking and I stammered as I placed her leg back in the bed, "DONT KICK ME I am pregnant!" She just looked at me. "Well not for long if I can help it." I had to leave the room. I wasn't pregnant but I could have been and we had been tiptoeing around her all day. It just came out, and though she couldn't admit it, it did make her think. Ya gotta watch yer back-and yer front in nursing....

This is one of the most heinous things I have ever heard. What if you had been pregnant? What if you'd miscarried?

What did your facility do? Did they back up you and your co-workers or did they turn a blind eye to the situation?

[pyrazen]

No offense, but how exactly do you think a bill would prevent a sick/confused/demented person from being violent?

It wouldn't do anything about dementia related violence, except change the way facilities handle violent demented pt.s, however, not all violence is done by those populations! In fact, not all is done by patients. Sometimes it is family members or friends who harm health care providers. I feel that if legislation would be created protecting us it might become pervasive in society to not treat nurses badly. Anything that demonstrates to the public that we are a vital, necessary, skilled profession rather than some kind of subsitute mother/whipping post/servant has to be good for us as a group. Everyone knows that if you hit a police officer you get in big trouble, but abusive people have learned from experience that you rarely are legally reprimanded if you hit a nurse. Many facilities do not want employees pressing charges against violent people for fear of looking bad in the press. If it was mandated to report, you can bet your favorite pair of shoes facilities would figure out more safety measures for decreasing violence, again for fear of looking bad if too many incidents were reported!

I am very lucky. My NM is supportive of filing charges, however, not all are. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to share my views on this matter, as you can see it is something I feel strongly about. I know it will not stop all violence but even some decrease would be nice. Prior to legislation about child abuse, more kids were brutalized. Prior to legislation about elder abuse, more were mistreated. That is where I am coming from on this issue.

PS. Totally not offended