So I'm a new grad grad nurse, graduated May 2018, & have been working as a med surg-nurse for the last 6 months. Before that, I'd been working as a nursing assistant and tele tech for 5 years.
The other night I had a patient known to everyone on the unit to be a trouble maker with a psych and criminal background (served about 10 years at 2 max security prisons for assault with a gun).
There was an issue where he didn't want to take his meds especially his Depakote. Later on in the shift I went into the room to give him eyedrops since he was refusing all PO meds because I tried "secretly giving him Depakote". He was watching Forensic Files, giving his commentary, then directed his attention towards me saying "I could kill you & get away with it". The comment didn't even phase me, partly because I due to his medical condition but still found it ridiculous.
I didn't report it (not smart on my part), but another nurse did. When I spoke to my manager about it she said that "I know we have to deal with a lot but there are boundaries". All I could think was "really?". Because I know we as healthcare professionals in general, but especially nurses deal with a higher rate of abuse (verbal, physical, etc), harassment, and unsafe situations than most other people in the workplace.
What are some of the crazy situations you guys have had similar to this one?
Like the real world out there, take threats seriously.
I had a patients’ father threaten me with bodily harm. He was angry, and he took it out on the easiest target: the teeny RN who was implementing care.
He was quite surprised when I followed through with security escorting him out (after speaking with him got me nowhere).
Stress can do terrible things to the psyche. But we can’t predict what a patient (or their family member) will actually do vs. what they threaten to do. I always go with never guess; believe them at their word. Document and take action.
These stories are so upsetting! Im finally really starting to lose my patience with this stuff. Being a patient sucks and is stressful; we get it more than most. Having a loved one in the hospital is scary; we can empathize. But adults need to manage their emotions and not take it out on the people who are trying to help, and if they can't they should not be allowed back.
My manager is usually pretty supportive, but there have been one or two times when she's tried to allow certain visitors back who have been violent and aggressive toward staff. Sometimes not even 24 hours have gone by. To me, that's unacceptable. People need to deal with the consequences of their actions and learn to express their emotions in ways that don't include harming healthcare staff. If they can't, they should not be welcome back into our space; that is part of why it keeps happening.
Specializes in Neurosciences, stepdown, acute rehab, LTC.
We had a muscular angry male in his 20s just released from prison. He said that if this nurse woke him up again he would seriously hurt her. She did not take it seriously but I sure as hell did and told her to report it to the manager and chart it and I told the doctors.
Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
6 hours ago, NightNerd said:
These stories are so upsetting! Im finally really starting to lose my patience with this stuff. Being a patient sucks and is stressful; we get it more than most. Having a loved one in the hospital is scary; we can empathize. But adults need to manage their emotions and not take it out on the people who are trying to help, and if they can't they should not be allowed back.
My manager is usually pretty supportive, but there have been one or two times when she's tried to allow certain visitors back who have been violent and aggressive toward staff. Sometimes not even 24 hours have gone by. To me, that's unacceptable. People need to deal with the consequences of their actions and learn to express their emotions in ways that don't include harming healthcare staff. If they can't, they should not be welcome back into our space; that is part of why it keeps happening.
A couple of times, we had visitors come in armed and making threats. One guy was arrested, and was found to have his ever-present coffee cup filled with Jack Daniels and a car full of bottles, handguns and ammo. He was arrested an hour into my shift and was back at the bedside visiting before I went home. For the first day, a security guard was with him at all times. After that, it was business as usual.
The other time, the visitors didn't even get arrested. They were cops. Armed and making threats. I don't know what their jobs had to say about it, or if the officers who showed up to make the arrest even reported the incident.
Female patient came in for out patient surgery- breast augmentation. Patient went to the OR and 30 mins later came out. MD found out in the OR that the patient was actually a man and the patient had "lied to the doctor about his sex." That is what the MD said. However, everyone was questioning the patient's gender because he was so big 6'5 with huge baseball mitt sized hands. When the patient was under, anesthesia checked and found out that he was a man.
#2 patient situation
psyche patient (border patient) on med surg floor. psyche unit said he was harmless, just needed observation. Ha Ha. On my shift, he escaped via a window and was caught by security trying to steal a car.
Patient #3
This happened in the 80's when there were patients we could put in 4 point leather restraints secured with a key and a nylon web from shoulder to ankles secured under the hospital bed for patients that required restraining. (I had a key on my id tag). This was an alcoholic brought in from the ER in DT's. He was a huge man, 280 lbs, and 6'3. Somehow on day shift he got out of his restraints, pulled his iv out, and began swinging the IV pole around in the room, He bit the nurses' thumb drawing blood. She was trying to calm him down, We could not get the ativan fast enough. Security had to come and secure the patient. It was crazy. I have more stories, been doing general nursing for 33 years.
There is absolutely no reason that nurses/staff should be getting death threats from anyone who is A&O. 1 warning and 86 them for life for the 2nd offense. People behave this way because there are no consequences. Admin needs to get a back bone!
pixierose, BSN, RN
882 Posts
Like the real world out there, take threats seriously.
I had a patients’ father threaten me with bodily harm. He was angry, and he took it out on the easiest target: the teeny RN who was implementing care.
He was quite surprised when I followed through with security escorting him out (after speaking with him got me nowhere).
Stress can do terrible things to the psyche. But we can’t predict what a patient (or their family member) will actually do vs. what they threaten to do. I always go with never guess; believe them at their word. Document and take action.