Being injured by patients

[SugarBabe99]

I was planning on entering nursing school next year, however after doing some research I'm not so sure if that's what I want to do.

I was reading threads on assaults/injuries by patients, and an *alarming* number of nurses seemed to have been attacked by patients, often resulting in serious injury (broken bones, etc.) One even said they'd been sexually assaulted twice. On top of that, most reported being ignored or fired by the administration after it happened. Is this really the norm for nursing, being seriously injured by your patients and unable to do anything about it??

All this information has almost scared me out of entering the field of nursing. Yes, I have always realized nursing involves a lot of hard work, dealing with bodily fluids, etc. etc. and I'm willing to give up a lot for my profession, however, risking serious bodily injury and/or death is something I will not do. I don't want to become a nurse only to wind up dead or disabled from the rest of my life as a result of a violent/combative patient. Dealing with the occasional hit, kick, difficult patient, etc. is one thing; dealing with something that's going to permanently injure you is another.

In particular, I was wanting to work with geriatrics and now I'm undecided about that as well. I realize patients in the late-stages of Alzheimer's have a tendency to be combative or aggressive, but I was under the impression there were usually precautions you could take to prevent yourself from getting hurt, and (usually) the assaults weren't much more than an attempted hit or kick. Now I'm just not sure if that's what I want to do if there's a very real risk of me having my bones broken or being hospitalized as a result of a combative patient.

[CBsMommy]

I had the same fears that you did, especially after some of the threads on here!

First of all, Alzheimer's patients tend to get a little aggressive and combative in the later stages. Most of this stems from fear. They don't remember how they got there or where they are. They don't know where their family is. How scary that must be! Second, most of this population is elderly and their "hits" are less scary than my 3 year old. It's not like they can chase you down the hall, holding a chair over their head! Lastly, nursing school will teach you ways to help talk to your patients to calm them down.

Is there some danger? Absolutely. But in all honesty, there is danger anywhere you go now-a-days.

I even volunteered to work in an acute ward at the state mental hospital and I felt safe and secure each day. I would not let this stop you from continuing nursing if it is your goal. And, remember, I felt the same way you did prior to entering nursing school. I've never once felt unsafe. Good luck!

[talaxandra]

I've been working in acute care for over twenty years - I've had my fair share of aggressive patients, from the demented and neurologically altered to medication interactions and psychiatric conditions, plus the just plain unpleasant.

I've been assaulted (pinched, slapped, punched) and worked with nurses more significantly injured (punched in the face, knocked unconscious).

This all sounds dreadful and I certainly understand your concern. However, the overwhelming majority of these incidents were well over a decade ago. SInce then there have been significant improvements in containment strategies, behavioural management training, security response, and most of all a massive jump in awareness about the issue, which in turn has lead to hospital policies against nurse-directed violence. It used to be that violence was seen as part of the job, and nurses were just supposed to take it. That's no longer the case.

There are also measures you can take, from taking advantage of de-escalation techniques to maintianing emotional distance enough to recognise when you're getting sucked into a battle of wills (this is my biggest clinical weakness).

I hope this helps :)