Assulted on the job

[Vedder316]

I am an LPN @ a locked residential facility for mentally ill patients. I have been there for three years and have enjoyed my job up until recently. We have a new batch of residents that are constantly threatening, touching and flat out assaulting me. It is a "hands off" facility and PRN medication for agitation etc is rarely accepted. What are my rights as a nurse regarding the inappropriate touching, and assaults? These patients are all mainly on a 302 compliment and court ordered to be there for at least 90 days. I understand that in this line of work I will be touched, threatened and occasionally assaulted but it is happening almost daily and with out any repercussion to the patients. I am willing to tolerate it because it is a great paying job and I do enjoy working with that demographic, but the few patients that constantly are acting like this I would like to know what I can do. Management states we cannot do anything about it as we will infringe on their "rights". Things are almost unsafe at this point. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated. Take care.

Matt

[Chin up]

I think you need further training. Hopefully your facility has an up to date training program, and on going in services. I would ask HR or staff development for techniques on dealing with this specific problem. I would then, continue to learn all I can, about this population. Good luck. Peace!

[Hawkens]

Patient and Staff safety are number one priority at any facility. Your facility should have something like NAPPI (non-abusive psychological & physical intervention) training. You should also be filing incident reports on these incidents because management is being lazy or just doesn't care. You have the right to a safe workplace!

[Flare, ASN, BSN]

Has this been reported to a higher authority like the state labor board? This is a blatant lack of employee safety. Will the management wait until the innappripriate touching beocme a sexual assault to them do something? By then it will be too late. No patient has the right to touch or assault staff. Sure, patients have their rights - but surely they can't expect that doing whatever the heck they please is one of them. It this simple - committed patients or not, locked facility or not, i don't care who you are - no one has the right to assault another human being.

[Hawkens]

Flare is that "clockwork orange"? if so perfect pic for this topic:jester:

[Flare, ASN, BSN]

Flare is that "clockwork orange"? if so perfect pic for this topic:jester:

lol, yeah

[EmergencyNrse]

Wow! They need more medication...

Your management isn't interceding?

I couldn't work in an unsafe environment. No job is worth that...

Hey, the WalMart greeter is almost never threatened. It pays pretty well too. (Just sayin')

[classicdame, MSN, EdD]

what would admin do if one pt assaulted another? Wouldn't the same apply to staff? Also, you might have legal steps to take outside employer's domain.

[sharpeimom]

take care of yourself and stay safe! your body has to last for the rest of your life. i worked in a locked building in a huge state hospital. we were a pretty cohesive team of rns and aides. our psych aides were the size of linebackers.

a 400#+ biker-type grabbed me and suddenly i was airborne. the aides grabbed him and got him off me, but he tore my shoulder. all because he would not take his ordered routine meds, but was demanding demerol and dilaudid, which he did not need and did not get. wasn't ordered.

if you aren't getting the back up and support you should be getting, document, document, document, every step of the way. send copies to your immediate supervisor, manager, and h.r. if nothing comes of it, notify the state. look on your state's official site and you'll find addresses, phone numbers and, usually, some email addresses.

the state takes such complaints very seriously and will investigate.

[seizetheday]

How are you being assaulted? I am just wondering what you mean by this word given you say it happens daily and you are willing to tolerate it? I am not sure I understand your facilities policy - do they actually say that you must be hands off and no meds even if someone is being aggressive? If someone is mentally ill and in crisis then PRN meds are often what they need to treat the illness - so I don't get that part. I don't think you accept being assualted daily as part of that line of work. I worked psych for 12 years and was never injured and can count on two hands the number of times I was even pushed, hit or physically touched. Being assaulted was never a tolerated part of my job.

Why do you think this group of residents is more aggressive? Are they paranoid and delusional? Are they bored and restless? Are they feeling trapped and controlled? Is it a group dynamics issue where one is setting off the others, or is a leader? Is it a lack of structure by the staff so patients (with poor boundaries and few inhibitions) are running wild? Are some staff able to deescalate the residents or is everyone being assaulted daily?

Make sure you and every other staff on that floor fill in paperwork each and every time you are assaulted. You might also want to speak to HR about your right to a safe work environment as an employee. Make sure it is well documented and that people higher up and in the right places are aware.

[casper1]

You have a right to work in a safe enviorment. I would think it would benefit everyone , the patients the staff and administration to investigate the situation and formulate some sort of plan to deal with the behavior. Doing nothing at all and continuing to turn a blind eye to this behavior will eventually end in chaos, with someone getting injured,

[Rob72, ASN, RN]

Management states we cannot do anything about it as we will infringe on their "rights". Things are almost unsafe at this point.

Weelll. It is unsafe. It is the "new paradigm". "Training" is unlikely to make much difference, since you are unable to place limits on the subjects behaviors. (I.e., those who are unable to self-limit, and who find no defined social boundaries will do what, exactly...?) Be careful.

On a personal level, I love psych too, but I'd work a "day job" and work with a community/half-way house volunteer, or per diem at the current facility.