In over my head?

[LoveAura]

::edited for specifics::

Okay so.. on a psych unit I get that violence may be more prevalent than in other work environments

My issue is this -- I've been a psych tech for a few months now on a crisis unit trying to feel out the field to see if I want to go into nursing. We aren't a hospital, we take medically stable individuals who need short term help for a variety of disorders. They oversee their own meds and can refuse.... but if they become belligerent, until now, we've been able to discharge them. A state hospital has just announced they are downsizing and possibly facing closure. This means our 16 bed unit will start taking on more acute individuals and we have just gotten three of them, two of which are court ordered to remain here.

One individual in particular doesn't have a diagnosis but he's severely delusional and violent. He came to us unmedicated and remains so. We have no training on how to neutralize physical aggression other than to prevent it, and we have no means of segregating this individual. As someone with specialized training, it is my job to "talk him down" when he's beating on walls and screaming about how he's going to kill us all just like he killed jesus.....

But I'm almost 8 months pregnant. I feel like I have a lot to lose by engaging him, and when he acts out, at least one of the others starts off like a domino effect. The other residents don't even have a way to lock him out of their bunk rooms and they are uneasy. We usually work with three of us on the unit and most of the time we are all women and we feel pretty darn uneasy too.

I feel like our unit is unprepared and things are going to escalate in a short time. Is it time to turn in my notice?

[Kooky Korky, BSN, RN]

Thank you for your advice, all. I was beginning to think this was the norm for psych. While I get that the behavior may be standard, how we deal with it is lacking severely, right?

My facility administrator has said that they are in the process of hiring an RN to oversee this unit and telemed with an MD for individuals who come to us without prescriptions. On hospital units or otherwise inpatient facilities, is it standard to have security, restraints, on-call for when staff calls in, is medication required, etc? We were at the point of having ONE person manning the facility this week and I don't see how that is safe at all!!

The guy I mentioned as being such a problem is now medicated and calmer, not threatening. But he is now sexually harassing staff and other residents. We "redirect" him verbally but I feel this scenario is verging on ridiculous. The only thing we can do is call the cops to come out and talk to him or take him to jail. I get that this place is going through some changes, taking on these patients, and I have one week left before I'm out on leave. Hopefully they will have gotten us some training and set protocols by the time I'm back or this job is just not going to be worth the anxiety of showing up.

Only one week? Leave now. That is, just call off, get your OB to cover the absence. You should not put your babe or yourself at risk in late pregnancy like you are.

[Whispera, MSN, RN]

I second what Kooky Korky wrote. Leave now rather than a week from now. Your situation is too unstable for staff, let alone for someone who is pregnant.

[AmyRN303, BSN, RN]

I second what Kooky Korky wrote. Leave now rather than a week from now. Your situation is too unstable for staff, let alone for someone who is pregnant.

OP posted back in May: I have a feeling she's done regardless of when she left.