Combative/Violent patients - NO MORE OF THIS!!!

Why would it make you a bad guy??? You are there to do your job, not to be assaulted.

Awesome!

Actually it's battery, but that's just semantics.

If you're well enough to be demanding and violent, you're well enough to be escorted off the premises, imo.

I don't know that limiting their tv and phone is going to be at all helpful, but I am fully on board with calling security and/or the police and filing charges as applicable.

You sound like you have issues, i deal with very combative pts somewhat regularly and none of them have ever been of sound mind at the time. (either brain mets, hallucinations from a med reaction ect.....) punishing someone for something they can't control (if that is what your implying) makes you a poor nurse and one who shouldn't have a job.

I have no problem giving haldol, and if someone is combative they get it immediately either iv or SQ, but that is all that is ever really needed. if someone is of sound mind acting that way our company will remove them from our services (and has in the past) but otherwise we work with family to get them under control. For the record i LOVE visitors for combative pts they end up being a one on one for them and keeping them calm. You may think your 'punishing' them but your really punishing your staff and yourself as well by keeping them from what is familiar to them.

"You sound like you have issues, i deal with very combative pts somewhat regularly and none of them have ever been of sound mind at the time. (either brain mets, hallucinations from a med reaction ect.....) punishing someone for something they can't control (if that is what your implying) makes you a poor nurse and one who shouldn't have a job."

Wow. You need to re-read the original post and issue an apology and/or retract your post.

I'm totally with you on security, the cops, the meds, and restraints. I am not however with you on taking away the tv, phone, and visitors. I don't believe you have the legal right to withhold any of these things and I would advise you not do so even if your supervisor backs you.

op- understand your point- that's why its time we get out of these settings. It will only get worse :-(

You are only doing what you can.Get out if you can.

oh, and why is it ok all of a sudden to put these pts on gen medical floors now. where I am we have this now too. If I wanted to be a psych nurse, I would go work in that area.

NO Television

NO Phone

NO Visitors

Putting grandma in "time out" is mistreatment. they are not children.

let the law punish them. you don't need to be involved with a violent patient, it's your right.

That sure is scary what you must have dealt with- being physically ill does not give someone of sound mind the right to lay a finger on you! apparently they think they can do whatever they want to people in the hospital and get away with it because they are the patient.

Remember everyone: even bad guys get sick!

There combative patients are not the elderly or confused. They are of sound mind and body and are choosing to act out this way.

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Guess some of you guys are not reading this right- as quoted above. These are the crack heads, etoh'ers, general jerks, etcs. I believe the op is referring to. NOT the elderly dementia and confused.

I totally agree with you. I once worked in an Alzheimer's unit as an STNA and dealt with some patients who had combative/violent behaviors. I loved those people, and their behavior did not disturb me because they knew not what they were doing. In the hospital setting, I have also dealt with the same type of behaviors r/t certain medical conditions. What I will not tolerate, is people of sound mind (that includes family members and significant others) who think that they have the right to verbally and physically abuse nurses and other health care workers. That bs that they are in a stressful situation does not fly with me. When I am stressed, I do not try to harm others. What other profession would condone violence against their employees? If you walk into a restaurant and punch out the waiter because he did not serve your food fast enough to your liking, you can bet that you will have criminal charges filed against you. Where I currently work, we have security who carry guns and have the ability to place someone under arrest. I let the abusers know this. If that does not work, I call security.