Assaulted by a patient

[Joy4021]

I have been a psych nurse for over a year. I work on a unit with chronically ill patients and pts who are both mentally ill and MR. Tonight one of my mentally ill MR patients assaulted me He became upset that I was talking to another patient and ran at me with all his force to push me down. I was slammed into a chair and bruised my abdomen. I'm okay physically aside from being very sore and bruised but mentally I'm a mess. My techs were awesome and immediately intervened when I was assaulted. They were very apologetic and shocked saying they didn't see this coming. Some of my coworkers were very supportive but one laughed and said they thought it was funny and cute saying Awe that patient must have been jealous!” I feel very jumpy now and I'm scared to face that patient. He used all his force to push me and I see nothing funny or cute about it My question is: for anyone who has been assaulted by a patient, how did you get over it?

[Davey Do]

My question is: for anyone who has been assaulted by a patient, how did you get over it?

Welcome to AN.com Joy4021! Being assaulted is a tremendously emotional occurrence. Kudos to your supportive Techs.

Among many others, the worst was when I was stabbed by a Patient diagnosed with Undifferentiated Schizophrenia. He believed he was in a movie and this was part of the script.

The way in which I dealt with it was a long haul. I first forgave the Patient. Then I took time for myself. I sought Therapy through the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) at the Mental Health Clinic where I worked. I sought Art Therapy by my on volition for months which changed how I view the world and my life. Then, finally, after about 6 months, I demanded a different position. I had been the Nurse in an ACT (Assertive Community Treatment) Program and transitioned into a position within the clinic.

The Staff who made the humorous comment was merely dealing with their own anxieties in their own way. The situation is not to be made light of, but humor overcomes fear.

I wish you the very best on your journey in dealing with this, Joy4021!

[Joy4021]

Thank you Davey. Your reply was very helpful.

[Davey Do]

You're welcome, Joy4021!

You might also wish to do a search to see how others dealt with their assault by a Patient. There's a Search option at the bottom of each Forum's page.

Here's a relatively recent one:

https://allnurses.com/psychiatric-nursing/gutless-colleagues-1029836.html

[amoLucia]

Make sure that you filled out whatever prerequisite incident/occurrence report as required by your facility.

As Davey commented, seek counseling services with your facility EAP. You were injured ON THE JOB so you should be eligible for some time off. Workman's comp? FMLA? Not too sure, but you need to pursue this if nec, and it sounds like it is.

DO NOT allow your facility to 'guilt' you into returning to work too early. Anxiety disorder and/or PTSD are residual occurrences after incidents like this.

I think you have the right to file police charges (in a time-critical fashion). Even if charges get thrown out, you've made it be known that you will not be bullied and/or assaulted by anyone. Some employers don't like staff to pursue this route.

You have the right to a safe work environment.

[OldDude]

Listen to these guys. You've been injured on the job; that isn't limited to ecchymosis and sore muscles. We had a 17 year old girl brought to the ER one night that kicked all of our butts until enough of us piled on top of her she couldn't stand anymore. One of the security guards involved never returned to work afterward. Please be kind to yourself and take advantage of these guys advise.

[nurse lala, BSN, RN]

I have been in several assaults and scuffles in my career. I am fortunate to have had no significant physical injuries but I have had resultant moral injuries that caused me exquisite pain as I struggled to understand my role as an RN and relationships with my peers and the client after an assault. I recall being abandoned by my peer when we approached a dangerous drug addicted sociopath for a PRN and he attacked me. I was bruised and peed on myself I was so scared he was going to kill me.

Moving forward becomes difficult because you thought you were doing everything right and thought you had a team you trusted, but those beliefs are now challenged by your experience.

All the feedback provided here is sound and I hope you follow up on a few of the ideas you will receive in this forum. I strongly encourage EAP, I am using it at my workplace now after experiencing a soul-injuries on the job. It is really helping me process all my conflicting feelings and the depression that was keeping me from being my best self in a difficult specialty. In fact yesterday was the last of three sessions.

My my best advice to you is to exercise. The benefits are endless as are the side effects; fitness and happiness. Exercising will help you process the work situation. Heck, why limit the benefit to work? you will be processing your life. You will be able to sleep because the exhaustion forces your mind to let go so you can relax. You become fit and strong (if you aren't already) which makes you a less likely target for a predator. If you are in a scuffle you are better armed with fitness and can defend yourself more effectively. You will not be as badly injured and you will heal faster. aNd exercise causes confidence that is like a Teflon barrier making you a less likely target. Last point is that you will also have quicker reflexes.

time is the most important aspect of healing. In time this too shall pass. But don't let this incident go without a lesson learned. Please think to identify one thing you could have done differently. That will be the silver lining to your narrative. Yes you did get hurt, but the lesson you gleaned will become another tool to your success.

My heart aches for you and I hope you seek the support and healing you need. Best of luck.