Abuse?.?!? Help!

allnurses Guide · Jun 12, 2016

Well multiple times that day she was heard stating , "If a resident hits me, I'll hit them back because I don't play."... I didn't think much of this at first, she didn't sound serious to me.
A few hours later I got called into the DONs office. Another nurse reported that she heard the orientee saying this and that I heard it to. When I asked, I stated yes I didn't hear her say it.

I'm sorry, but I'm confused. Did you hear the orientee saying this or not?

If you heard it, you needed to tell her to cool it and report her. I worked in an LTC where if somebody even so much as joked about popping a resident in the nose, they were gone.

I would say that if this orientee was so casual in their inappropriate commentary (and in front of their new coworkers! We usually try to impress our new coworkers, don't we?) then this is a person who would likely do something abusive. They displayed no restraint. If you had reacted with any agreement to what they were saying... wow, that person would have been off like a rocket. They obviously see nothing wrong with what they were saying and, to me, that is scary.

As for advice, like I said, you need to report stuff like this. If you heard it and said nothing, you are guilty for allowing a potentially abusive person into the lives of very vulnerable people. I would work on developing common sense and a backbone.

DoeRN · Jun 12, 2016

I'm confused too. Did you hear her say it? Or did you say you didn't hear her say it? Sorry I haven't had coffee yet.

mrs.hood · Jun 12, 2016

I'm sorry I did hear her say it. But it was about 3 hours before I was able to say anything about it.

LadyFree28, BSN, LPN, RN · Jun 12, 2016

I'm sorry I did hear her say it. But it was about 3 hours before I was able to say anything about it.

Well.

That may be your downfall-you heard her say it and didn't promptly address the issue to someone higher up nor correct her when you heard it. :no:

Do you have malpractice insurance.

Kooky Korky, BSN, RN · Jun 12, 2016

It seems like some facts have been left out.

Many people say things like this. Is it smart to say? I guess not. How often do staff actually hit patients? To my knowledge, almost never. I do know of one person who did hit a pt back after he hit her. Staff was fired.

OP, get your story straight. What's with the 3 hours before you could say anything? What does that mean? What were you doing for 3 hours, did you tell your orientee her attitude was not acceptable? Who is the other busybody who ran to the boss?

You probably will get fired because you don't communicate clearly. Your orientee will try to lie, somehow it will be your fault that she verbalized her fear as a threat. If she's such good pals with the boss, how come the boss didn't tell her about this rule and does your boss/facility provide teaching about how to defend yourself from violent patients without it being considered improper?

IF you are smart, you will just take the correction and do not say anything else, like you didn't think she really meant it. You will just dig yourself in deeper. No defending yourself, just take the discipline or counseling and be done with it.

mrs.hood · Jun 12, 2016

Exactly my point people talk like this often just usually not so out in public. As to the 3 hours, my boss was in a meeting and I was making rounds with the doctor. Yes I did tell her that was not acceptable, I do not condone anything about that attitude. I have no problem taking the discipline...everything is a learning curve...it was my license I was worried about. But thank you.

Nursemiriben, LPN, EMT-P · Jun 25, 2016

My caregivers say foolish immature stuff like this all the time. I'm in a lock down as well. It's hard to find employees at that level with a good professional attitude. Now if someone actually hit someone heads would roll...but you hearing someone saying that and waiting 3 hours to report it? I guess I feel like we're missing something here

DeedeeNSN · Jun 27, 2016

Well stated