I refuse to be a punching bag - NO MORE ASSAULT

Airidis · Apr 17, 2011

I find when being yelled at hit,bitten or slapped by someone mentally compenent telling them I do not appreciate their behaviour and it is inappropriote is sometimes a lightbulb effect.

gentlegiver, ASN, LPN, RN · Apr 17, 2011

It is a federal crime to assault a Police Officer, Fireman, EMT or Doctor. And still if you are assaulted at work by a patient or their family/friends, the first thing asked is "What did you do to provoke it?" "How could you have prevented the situation from spiraling out of control?" And God help you if you have the patient/family/friend arrested! You are the one punished by being written up or fired it looks bad in the news to have that a Nurse was assaulted & had an arrest made. After all those people wont want to come back here and spend thier money (or ours for that matter). We need to make it a law that Assaulting a NURSE is just as serious as any of the above professions. How about we all flood our Congressmen with requests for such a law.

leslie :-D · Apr 17, 2011

We need to make it a law that Assaulting a NURSE is just as serious as any of the above professions. How about we all flood our Congressmen with requests for such a law.

while i agree that we should absolutely reject any type of assault on us...

i struggle with some professions/people being cited as more important than everyone else.

i believe we are all equal, and the law should be applied accordingly.

we've always had the chance to press charges.

i think the more applicable concept here, is to un-brainwash nurses into believing that we did NOT do anything to deserve it.

once that is accomplished, it's much easier to take action. :twocents:

leslie

deyo321 · Apr 17, 2011

Another reason I love my job. An inmate tries to take a swing at me he will be kissing linoleum. And he will definately be picking up charges. I am so much safer here than even in the nursing home where over the years I have been scratched, pinched, spit at, and slapped.

deyo321 · Apr 17, 2011

I think leslie that I disagree. Never thought that would happen. My rationale is because we are pretty much compelled to offer help. You can't just walk away from a bleeding person because they are combative, or tell that little old Grandma to take a hike when she scratches you, you still need to provide care. That in my mind raises the level of a medical professional to someone who should be better protected by the law. I don't even like saying that because I also like to believe that everyone is equal. Ahhh the dichotomies of me.

That being said it wont prevent it from happening, but maybe it would make more people aware of the issue.

Missjewel22 · Apr 17, 2011

What can we Nurses do about the disrespectful way we are treated by some physicians, administration, patients and family members?

For example, a patient of mine in labor and delivery didn't want to go home, but she wasn't in labor and the physician wrote the order to send her home. The nurse following me explained to the patient that she wasn't in labor. The patient then proceeded to call the nurse a "*****" and a "f..... *****". She then turned the whole story around and wrote letters to our nurse manager who totally kissed up to the patient, apologized profusely and gave her cell number to the patient, in case she had any further problems.

I know the nurse that was verbally abused and she is a young, very kind nurse. She in no way deserved or illicited this.

I am so tired of the lack of respect that we get. I wonder what would of happened if she said that to a doctor?

TheMoonisMyLantern, ADN, LPN, RN · Apr 17, 2011

What can we Nurses do about the disrespectful way we are treated by some physicians, administration, patients and family members?

One thing I do with difficult patients, is to contact my manager/supervisor before they get a chance to so that they hear my side of the story first. I also document EVERYTHING the patients says so that when/if the notes are pulled they can read what transpired.

I think nurses everywhere need to stand up together and say to their employers, "We have the right to a harrassment free enviroment, and instead of treating us like battered wives treat us like the professionals that we are!"

And since our employers are always inservicing us about WHO our customers are: patients, EMPLOYEES, physicians, visitors, and vendors, WE should be allowed to do a customer satisfaction survey as well in which our managers and upper administration's payscale would be affected by what their employers fill out on the survey. I bet things would change then.

86toronado, BSN, RN · Apr 17, 2011

We have signs all over our ED that say it is illegal in NY to assault a nurse. I had a patient ask me yesterday why they were there. He had no idea that nurses often get punched, kicked, scratched, etc in the course of their everyday job. Educating the public would apparently be a good step to help make it a national law.

Altra, BSN, RN · Apr 17, 2011

I find when being yelled at hit,bitten or slapped by someone mentally compenent telling them I do not appreciate their behaviour and it is inappropriote is sometimes a lightbulb effect.

Someone hits you or bites you and your response is that you "do not appreciate their behavior"?

It is a federal crime to assault a Police Officer, Fireman, EMT or Doctor.

No, that's not correct. Every state has statutes which make it a specific crime to assault a police officer. Most states similarly protect fire fighters and EMS workers. Twenty states, most recently Virginia, have enacted legislation which specifically cover emergency department staff including physicians and nurses. That means 30 states are not yet on board with this concept ... for nurses or for physicians.

I'm sure there are federal codes which apply to the assualt of federal law enforcement officers such as Border Patrol, Federal Marshals, Customs agents, etc.

gentlegiver, ASN, LPN, RN · Apr 17, 2011

No, that's not correct. Every state has statutes which make it a specific crime to assault a police officer. Most states similarly protect fire fighters and EMS workers. Twenty states, most recently Virginia, have enacted legislation which specifically cover emergency department staff including physicians and nurses. That means 30 states are not yet on board with this concept ... for nurses or for physicians.
I'm sure there are federal codes which apply to the assualt of federal law enforcement officers such as Border Patrol, Federal Marshals, Customs agents, etc.

My Bad... Sorry, used the wrong term. In Ma, it is a State law that you are to be proscuted to the full extent of the law if you assault a Police Officer, Firefighter, EMT or Dr. But still it's simple Assualt & Battery to strike a Nurse. Still not right!

caregiver1977 · Apr 17, 2011

As a patient, I think I owe the same respect to the nurse that I expect from him/her. Most mentally competent patients should know that it is not within their best interest to **** off the people that are caring for you.

When I went to the hospital with my third child I was trying to get the staff to understand that I was IN LABOR. The only person who believed me was the clerk. I guess since I wasn't begging and screaming for drugs the nurses didn't believe me. After making me walk down a long hall while the nurse stood at the door and offered no assistance, even though I almost fell out from my contractions, I had had it. I had REPEATEDLY tried to get these people to understand I was in labor. By the time the nurse finally got around to doing a lady partsl exam there was no cervix, the were feeling my son's HEAD. At this point they damn near ran over themselves to get everything ready. At this point I let the nurses have it verbally. I don't even remember what I said.

Most of the time I have let things slide that I probably shouldn't. I think respect is something that is degrading in our society as a whole, not just in healthcare.