I've been a nurse in the SICU for a lil more than a year now. yesterday, while I was helping another nurse with her pt who was agitated and going through alcohol withdrawal. The pt spit (or more like splashed) the medication and water that he was holding in his mouth, all over my face, on purpose. His spit got in my eyes & mouth. I went to occupational health to get baseline labs taken, just in case.
As nurses, we are suppose to keep our pts away from harm, keep them from harming themselves, but who is suppose to keep them from harming us.
This incident just made me really depressed about nursing. I try my best to take the best care of my pts...I put their needs in front of my own. I love bedside nursing...but honestly I have no idea how long i can deal with things like this.
