I need to vent. On monday while charging we had 4 ambulances arrive at the same time two really sick and 2 drunk patients. One nurse went to lunch. I was left to triage the 2 drunk patients. When I went to place a gree bracelet on the patient (it is a bracelet we place on pateints who are a fall risk) the pt grabbed my wrist and started to squeeze and would not let go. I yelled for help and noone came. I managed to get my wrist released but sprained it in the process as I was leaving his room I said loudly you do not hit nurses . At this moment the ED medical director was walking by he did not stop to ask what happened he just kept going Although injured I then continued to input the triage note while at the computer I noticed the patient was throwing his urinal and ripping off his ID bracelet. I went back to the outside of his room and again said loudly stay in bed you do not throw things. stood outside the 4 bed room and said loudly you do not throw things. At that momnet the greeter (she is the person who does the mine registering of a pt) came up and said she had a pt with a nose bleed who needed a room I told her to put the pt in rapid assessment room 2 instead of the main ED as there were two nurses located there and no nurse to triage this pt.
The next thing I know the charge nurse comes to me to tell me she is relieving me of charge because of the pt I put in rapid assesment. (she felt I should have put the pt in the main area since I had 7 empty beds and rapid assessment was busy even though they had an empty room and one pt ready for discharge) and 2 nurses.
I was flabergasted I went to the medical director to explain that I had just been assaulted and was not yelling but speaking loudly as I could not go in the room and that I was just in putting a pt who was 5 on the ESI scale in rapid aseesment. He did not ask how I was not did he care he said I was supposed to be a model. I left saying "this is bogus"
and went to the charge nurse. the next thing I know the director is in the room saying you are lucky you are in the union otherwise you would be fired for disrespecting me by turning you back and saying "bull". I tried to tell him I did not say that but he did not care
I was written up for "nonprofessional behavior"
Nothing happened to the patient either he was allowed to walk out 1 hour later. I am left with a sprained wrist and off charge for indefinite time.
So the moral of the story is If a patient hurts you say nothing to the patient do nothing and continue to do your job without stopping
Specializes in Peds Critical Care, Dialysis, General.
You do know that assaulting a healthcare worker is a FELONY? Wonder if the hospital could be held as an accesory since you obviously didn't have enough people working to handle the situation? (I really doubt it, but it sure sounds good doesn't it?)
I'm wondering if you sprain your wrist and have a 'demigod' for a medical director in the situation described, I wonder if the physician examining you would be inclined to treat you the way the medical director would want you to be treated. Would he or she stand up for you? Hmmmm...
No idea the security officers just swear out a c/o and it is done we are not so lucky. Hmmm and they get hazard duty pay to work with the same patients we work with.
Get this they cancelled the meeting for the write up due to the holidays but it is in my file and I am still being punished by not being allowed to do charge. (Not that I care so much except when a new employee is being made charge over me or they bring in a 4th nurse to do charge OT.) In truth I hate charging here all the nurse take one PT and say they are too busy to take more yet have no problem giving me several critical pt's at once
AlabamaBelle
476 Posts
The stuff dreams are made of!!!