Combative Patients/Body cams/Walkie talkies

[Beldar_the_Cenobite, CNA]

One day I was sitting at a Starbucks near a State run hospital. I saw two healthcare professionals walk in in their scrubs. I don't know what their position was but they had what looked like body cams near the v-cut part of the neck of the top scrub near their badge. Those little Nokia sized devices that police wear. It caught my attention because I know some patients(like meth heads on withdrawal) can't be the nicest people in the world when they don't get what they want when they want it on your shift. I'll admit I was far away but it looked like either a body cam or a walkie talkie but I thought why would they use something that would be loud? A body cam, in this day and age, would sound ingenious. It would be like liability coverage for the professional and the facility.

It was like an eyeopening experience in the field I look forward to growing old with knowing the difficulties I'd experience. Patients would know they're being recorded so they couldn't start with their pathological wants and needs they think they can smuggle by using a stressed out professional in the setting.

Then I thought of the people like security in suits at casinos who watch players. Using those corded walkie talkies to remain discreet and undercover. If hospitals give nurses and doctors including the management ones in charge of the others those kinds of walkie talkies, the nursing field would probably be a lot less stressful.

What do you guy think? With people on tv being shot by police and rants about it on the media and the news, it seems body cams are the perfect insurance when you know your job is always on the line. It would seem to make sense considering police, physicians and nurses all have STRESSFUL jobs. I always had this thought that healthcare professionals had to deal with abuse from combative patients but now I see hope out of that. I don't want to be beaten if there's a way I can get around it.

Also, how do you guys deal with combative patients? How do you deal with the yelling and screaming? and the hitting? I learned in my friends CNA school that stepping away from a patient if they're being abusive is considered neglect. I might not have that right but I know stepping out of the room if their being combative is neglect.

I also learned that straps on the beds used against the patient I believe can only be used by doctor's order and that requires a lot of paperwork because strapping a patient to a bed would be considered abuse and neglect.

I'm starting CNA school soon so I hope I can get some good answers on here that I might not get in CNA school.

[mrsboots87]

I highly doubt they were wearing body cams. I personally would never go to a hospital (by choice) knowing they recoded my care.

What you describe sounds like possibly Voceras or some other radio/phone device. A Vocera is small and black and usually snapped on to the collar of scrubs in order to better pick up your voice when talking to whoever you call.

Wearing a body can seems like it would be a violation of privacy and require consent from patients. I just don't see very many patients being ok with being recorded.

[mrsboots87]

I also would never choose to work for a faculity that records all care in a body cam. I have seen ICUs that have cams in the room for patient monitoring while nurses are out of the room. But outside of a critical care area, I wouldn't feel co for table with this.

[Beldar_the_Cenobite, CNA]

I highly doubt they were wearing body cams. I personally would never go to a hospital (by choice) knowing they recoded my care.

What you describe sounds like possibly Voceras or some other radio/phone device. A Vocera is small and black and usually snapped on to the collar of scrubs in order to better pick up your voice when talking to whoever you call.

Wearing a body can seems like it would be a violation of privacy and require consent from patients. I just don't see very many patients being ok with being recorded.

That's what I thought too. The privacy of the patient. But if there's cameras in the room...doesn't that still contradict the patients privacy?

[Beldar_the_Cenobite, CNA]

I personally would never go to a hospital (by choice) knowing they recoded my care.

That's a suspicious way of responding to a cause with good intent....

[Anonymous865]

That's a suspicious way of responding to a cause with good intent....

She isn't the only one. There is no way in H--- that I would allow anyone to film me while providing my care.

I know society is changing and many people want to share everything about their lives, but I think most people would still object to having a healthcare provider film their pelvic exam or insertion of a foley or even taking their medical history. Some things are still private.

[iluvivt, BSN, RN]

My first thought is that was a Vocera. That is exactly where they are to be worn to work the best, that is about mid sternum.

[mrsboots87]

That's a suspicious way of responding to a cause with good intent....

How is wanting my lady parts and/or breasts to not be on video during care suspicious? Is this you implying I am an abusive patient....

I just assisted with putting a flexiseal in a patients rectum who had c-diff. The stool was just a river. I find it undignified to record this procedure for no good reason. Even if the patient was calling me names and trying to fling stool at me, I find no need for me to record it as evidence of his abuse.

That is just one example. Nursing is rarely a glorious job and is filled more with the nasty things most people don't want to think about all in the name of helping people heal and get on about their life. None of this needs to be recorded.

And my mentioning of cameras in ICU rooms was not implying that this is a normal thing in ALL parts of the hospital. Where I work, the ICUs have cameras that don't record. They are used for the nurses to monitor patients while out of the room charting. I believe the patient (or more commonly the MPOA) has to sign consent for the use of the camera in the room.

[Beldar_the_Cenobite, CNA]

Ok I'm only talking about when the patient is in bed rest and isn't going through procedures. Obviously they'd have a legitimate reason for being hostile but to just be requesting for medication that they're not supposed to get that they think should get and the nurse or LPN tells them no that's when a body cam should be in effect.

I really wonder how nurses deal with hostile patients..CNA's too. If they're punching you or clawing at you, what do you do? Yes sir may I please have another? I'm not saying fight back but are police called in? Or something?

[evastone, BSN, RN]

I really wonder how nurses deal with hostile patients..CNA's too. If they're punching you or clawing at you, what do you do? Yes sir may I please have another? I'm not saying fight back but are police called in? Or something?

It depends on how mobile the patients are. I have had patients try to kick, punch, and one even tried to strangle me. Most of my patients were bed bound and demented. For those patients, we sometimes had to sedate them so they could get the care they needed. I would stay far enough away from the bed if I thought they would strike or have another staff member help me hold the patient down as I did what needed to be done.

For mobile patients, I would make sure not to be within arms reach of the patient and call security, MD, and the nurse supervisor respectively. Violence in the workplace whether from colleagues or patients should never be tolerated.

[MikeyT-c-IV]

I think the OP offers an interesting question that I've never considered myself. I went to my trusty school library website to see if there have been any studies on this topic. I couldn't find any. The most relevant study I could find was in regard to video surveillance and reducing falls. One hospital I worked in the past was going to implement that practice to presumably reduce the number of sitters. The idea is to place a camera in the room and the video would feed to a central monitoring room. I have my own opinions on that practice but it's off topic.

So since I couldn't find any studies on the subject I can't even pretend to know or offer an informed opinion. My imagination is just running wild. :) If a patient is going to use violence they will probably be violent no matter if a camera is present, or not. There will still be evidence and documentation involved.

I have to admit that my experience with violence in the workplace is very limited. I've been swung at, kicked at, and been told I'm going to be killed. These are threats from little old immobile dementia patients. It doesn't quite get my feathers ruffled. But that's just my particular setting. I can imagine bigger problems in the mental health setting. Especially in a setting where the patient population is much younger and physically capable.

I think this would be a highly debatable topic and I've enjoyed reading all these perspectives. Personally, I don't think it would be worth the cost to the employer. It would be a huge investment and maintenance nightmare. And let's face it, unless an investment will reduce the number of staff providing care, they usually won't.

[NurseGirl525, ASN, RN]

It was not a camera. It was a vocera. Nurses do not wear body cameras. This doesn't even need to be a discussion as it does not occur.

Yes, at times, some patients can be combative. They are not in their right mind or body, thus, they are in the hospital. We are not the police.