Staff Abuse

[fawnsternurse]

Any feedback or recourse for staff abuse by patients?

I have worked as a travel nurse in 3 State hospitals in NC.

This last one I am working at has had more staff being jumped and beaten by patients than anywhere else I have ever worked at or have heard about . All of the other nurses that have worked elsewhere agree.

We have had Doctors being choked to death and a collar bone broken.

We had a female nurse who was jumped and choked and her glasses broken.

A young female HCT who was choked to the point of being unconcious and blue.

This is not just randon , and there are many more incidents that I am not describing here. I do understand that psychiatry can be risky and violent.

This has been beyond that.

There are many incidents of staff abuse that we have seen and I am wondering if there is any recourse other than quiting which really doesnt address or solve the problem.

This is a major issue and although i am not able to discuss this on a deeper level the fact is we are all very concerned and it doesnt seem that this is being adressed in a proactive way.

Thank you

[PsychRN-Kris]

Yikes. Sounds like there are some serious management problems there. The idea is to diffuse situations early before they turn in to escalated violence. If patient's have access to dangerous objects that's also a serious problem on the unit. I'm really surpised the hospital is allowed keep the unit open and/or keep staff with those sort of things going on!

[barefootlady, ADN, RN]

Too many times staff forgets to keep a professional barrier between themselves and the psych patient. Trust is important when treating these patients but never to the point of forgetting these patients have issues that can make for dangerous situations. Security for staff is generally lacking in many psych facilities, so I agree with other posters, sometimes it really is a matter of doing what you have to do to be safe. Nothing like having a patient bring you a loaded gun that belongs to his roommate. Seems a staff member was too busy to really search his belongings. Ugh..I still get chills.

[Thunderwolf, MSN, RN]

Security for staff is generally lacking in many psych facilities, so I agree with other posters, sometimes it really is a matter of doing what you have to do to be safe. Nothing like having a patient bring you a loaded gun that belongs to his roommate. Seems a staff member was too busy to really search his belongings. Ugh..I still get chills.

This chills me to my bones....truly frightening.

In psych...always, always safety first...otherwise, we are all just playing a dangerous game. Safety...begins at the front door...the patient and belonging search...which can never be overemphasized.

Thank you for this reminder.

[NPAlby]

Wrote a few months ago that you guys had me scared ( I was due to start a travel contract over in NC). Well after one day on the floor (still on orientation mind you). I'm petrified. Oh and what I've heard is that Umstead was one of the more "relaxed" meaning better state facilities for nurses. I'm over in Goldsboro now and not getting any good vibes. Supposed to start working nights next week on the adult acute admissions next week and really not looking forward to that. Of course I won't get orientation for nights and they keep saying that the patients sleep throughout the night. That doesn't seem to help my nerves any since while walking through the units with my preceptor I saw one of the admin people's off turned upside down with glass all over the floor. Apparently one of our new admits from yesterday (well known to staff went off and broken a computer and/or tv screens. Someone please tell me I have nothing to worry about that Goldsboro isn't that bad (the acute admission side). Please! I might just have to break this contract if I truly feel unsafe while on the unit which I really hate doing (money wise).