Nurse story

[rph3664]

Recently, the hospital where I work had a male patient on the med/surg floor who was sexually harassing the female nurses - groping them, pinching them, pulling their tops out so he could look down them, etc. The floor decided to assign all male nurses to him, but that was even worse because he was making disgusting assumptions about their sexual preference.

So, they called a male nurse from another floor who's about 6'7" and 400 pounds, and he introduced himself and told the patient, "We don't harass nurses in this hospital."

Problem solved.

:trout:

[leslie :-D]

wouldn't that be a form of bullying?

leslie

[yotoc]

How exactly is that bullying? When did it become ok for patients to act like animals just because they're sick?

[leslie :-D]

How exactly is that bullying? When did it become ok for patients to act like animals just because they're sick?

1. who said it was ok for pts to act like that?

2. it's bullying if they're using a 400 lb guy to intimidate.

leslie

[yotoc]

So any tall, overweight guy that says anything that isn't flowers and sunshine is "bullying"? If a tiny blonde girl said the same thing to the patient would that be "bullying" as well?

"We don't harass nurses in this hospital," is not bullying. "If you don't knock it off I'm going to put you in restraints and beat your face in," is bullying.

[leslie :-D]

So any tall, overweight guy that says anything that isn't flowers and sunshine is "bullying"? If a tiny blonde girl said the same thing to the patient would that be "bullying" as well?

"We don't harass nurses in this hospital," is not bullying. "If you don't knock it off I'm going to put you in restraints and beat your face in," is bullying.

i'm not questioning what he said.

just by virtue of being 6'7, 400 lbs, is an intimidating presence.

when this pt harrassed male and female nurses, they assigned this guy.

is it because of his size they did this?

that his physical presence may intimidate the pt into quiet.

leslie

[yotoc]

Of course it was because of his size. As long as the guy said or did nothing intimidating, then he wasn't being intimidating. The patient was probably an obnoxious coward and of course he's not going to make those remarks to the "large nurse". That doesn't mean he's been bullied or intimidated.

leslie

[leslie :-D]

That doesn't mean he's been bullied or intimidated.

it most certainly does.

leslie

[steelcityrn, RN]

OK then...good points by both of you. When I have had to deal with this, I usually just ignored the remarks and behavior. I think once I called the hospital security to pay the patient a visit, he was scaring me. Glad this patient finally got it.

[yotoc]

There is a small, but very important difference between bullying and intimidation. I jumped into this thread because you started off saying the pt was bullied. I still fail to see where telling a pt that his behavior is unacceptable translates into bullying.

Then you say he's intimidating. I'm going to concede that point. I'm a big guy, but I'd still watch my mouth in front of 'giant nurse' but I'd not feel that I was bullied by what he said. If that's your definition of intimidating, then you are right.

It's still a long ways away from bullying.

[LNDis4ME]

By that token, then calling Security up to deal with a pt could also be considered bullying...3 guys in uniform with night sticks etc. The line has to be drawn somewhere. The patient was inappropriate and needed to be told his behavior was inappropriate. Being a patient and sick does not entitle you to sexually harass the staff or violate their personal space by groping them etc. So, if it's considered bullying or intimidation to have someone quite large inform him that his behavior is inappropriate and won't be tolerated, then so be it. If the pt walked up to someone on the street and groped them, he would be arrested. Being a pt does not entitle you to behave anyway you want. Violent or inappropriate behavior is unacceptable. Remember, our workplace is supposed to be violence free. Exactly how should a situation like this be handled if the patient can't perceive it as being bullied or intimidated?

[suanna]

Isn't it a shame the nurse even had to come down from another floor. If the guy had been doing that B.S. to the cashier at the local Wallmart he would be in the county lock-up but since he is assaulting nurses not only do we not arrest him but are worried about bullying a patient. Is being clapped in handcuffs and getting carted off to the local jail infirmary being bullied?-Thats what should have happened.