Anger or Violence from Families after a Death?

[hrn1]

Hi! I am a new hospice RN and was recently talking with a nurse at one of the facilities where I see patients. She had been a hospice rn but quit after another nurse at her company was visiting a patient who went to the bathroom and shot himself.

Has anyone ever been in a dangerous situation with a patient or family? So far my experience has been positive and I've never felt threatened - just wondering if this has been an issue for anyone (hopefully not).

[traumaRUs, MSN, APRN]

Will move to the Hospice Nursing forum.

[Nonick9700]

We had a patient in a "rough" neighborhood, in a duplex with very "interesting characters" to put it mildly. It was agreed upon by all staff that none of us would visit there alone. It was also agreed that if we got called out in the middle of the night, police would escort us. We spoke to the poilce before hand about the situation.

We recently had an unstable family member, not sure what his pysch issue were, but staff felt threatened. Our concern was that when the patient passed (his grandmother) he'd go ballistic. It was agreed upon by the family and staff that the police would be called to control him if it came to that. Luckily, it ended peacefully.

I believe prevention is key, it's just difficult when every patient/family has unique situation!

[tewdles, RN]

Some hospice patients live in dangerous neighborhoods and/or have scary relatives. It is important for the admission team to identify safety concerns or risks for the care team and for the IDT to develop a clear plan.