Do psych patients ever stalk their nurse?

KrissyPRN · Mar 7, 2008

I suppose any patient could stalk there nurse not just a pysch pt. But to answer your question I have never been stalked by a pt nor have I heard of anyone on our unit being stalked. I have seen patients in public that have recognized me.

elkpark · Mar 7, 2008

I've been in psych nursing for close to 25 years, in both rural and major urban settings, and I've never been stalked by a client, nor have I ever personally known anyone (in psych) who was stalked by a client (not that they mentioned, anyway). That doesn't mean it doesn't happen! But it's not nearly a big a concern as a lot of people fear.

If you look at the limited literature on the subject, you will find that psychiatrists and psychotherapists are much more likely (statistically) to be stalked by clients than psychiatric nurses. You'll also find that the reported/published stalking rate in psych is nearly the same as the reported/published stalking rate for the public at large -- so, you don't really have any greater risk of being stalked because you're working in psych than you do anyway as a member of the general public ...

I practiced for many years in a very rural area (one of those places where everyone knows everyone else), and it was very common for me to run into clients in the grocery store, library, etc. I trained in a big city, boundaries and maintaining confidentiality were really stressed in my psychiatric rotation, and it was really unsettling, at first, to have clients come up to me in the grocery store and want to stand there in the aisle, very publicly reminiscing about experiences on the inpt. unit and updating me about how their outpatient treatment was going! I got used to it, although I never got to like it and certainly did not encourage them (for the sake of their privacy, not because I felt uncomfortable or threatened). :rolleyes: I just tried to conclude those conversations as quickly and quietly as possible without being rude.

Thanet · Mar 14, 2008

Yes, I have been stalked. She wanted my baby and even suggested I donate my sperm into a bank so she could have it.

When she is admitted I have an arrangement with my ward nurses and senior nurses that we are not left alone at the same time. She or I will be moved to different ward for instance.

EVERY ONE knows she is my stalker (even her husband - who is also a client)

As for seeing ex patients in the community, I make it a rule never to speak to them unless they speak to me first. Even then I do not mention being in hospital...I just try to make it a general chat as you would with any acquaintance you meet.

fusster · Mar 14, 2008

I don't work on a psych unit, but once I had a schizophrenic pt on the cardiac floor I work on. He looked at my name tag, and started repeating my name over and over. It really creeped me out. Since I'm on a regular floor, my last name was on my name tag too, so he very well could have found out my address. After that, I covered up my last name, even though it's against hospital policy. I think it's unsafe to have last names on ID badges. He never stalked me though, just creeped me out.

New2ER · Mar 15, 2008

Where I work there is a female pt that took a liking to one of my coworkers. I wouldn't say she is stalking her but the former pt does know my coworker's schedule in detail including what hours and days of the week. (Her schedule alternates on a two week basis). She calls everyday that my coworkers is on, sometimes several times until my coworker chit chats with her for a few minutes.

AngelfireRN, MSN, RN, APRN · Mar 17, 2008

While I have never been stalked, I did cover my last name on my badge when I worked in-house psych. One day, a patient got upset and wanted my last name, and I refused to tell her (for obvious reasons). She went to the unit clerk and asked her, and the ditz not only told her, SHE WROTE IT DOWN FOR HER!!!!!! I ripped her a new one as soon as I saw what she had done and told her she was never again to breach my privacy with a patient. Her response? "She wanted to write a compliment about you." Considering the interaction this patient and I had just had, I was doubtful. I got that paper that my name was written on, ripped it up, and informed the DON that, in this day and age of identity theft, not to mention the caliber of patient that we deal with, I would REALLY rather they NOT know my last name.

RN BSN 2009 · Mar 17, 2008

I've done my psych rotation. Ran into a patient in a public area, just have to remain professional and let them acknowledge you first.

And the 2 nurses that I do know that were stalked before - worked on an orthopaedics unit... hmmm!

elkpark · Mar 17, 2008

While I have never been stalked, I did cover my last name on my badge when I worked in-house psych. One day, a patient got upset and wanted my last name, and I refused to tell her (for obvious reasons). She went to the unit clerk and asked her, and the ditz not only told her, SHE WROTE IT DOWN FOR HER!!!!!! I ripped her a new one as soon as I saw what she had done and told her she was never again to breach my privacy with a patient. Her response? "She wanted to write a compliment about you." Considering the interaction this patient and I had just had, I was doubtful. I got that paper that my name was written on, ripped it up, and informed the DON that, in this day and age of identity theft, not to mention the caliber of patient that we deal with, I would REALLY rather they NOT know my last name.

There was a long and, at times, heated thread here about this topic a few years ago. I've worked inpatient psych for almost 25 years, in a wide variety of settings (urban as well as rural), and have always used my last name on my badge, and told clients my last name every time I introduce myself to one. My current employer refused to put my last name on my badge, so I have to make do with just telling clients. IMHO, that's the only professional and responsible way to conduct yourself as an RN, but I recognize that others feel differently about that.

Apart from the whole "professional" issue, though, I've never really understood why people think that not having the last name on the badge, or covering it up, will protect them from anything -- if someone wants to stalk you or harm you, s/he will find a way to do it with or without your last name on the badge. Of all the things you might want to do to keep yourself safe, it seems to me that the badge thing is pretty far down the list. and yet people always bring that up like it's THE THING that will protect you.

EarthChild1130 · Mar 23, 2008

I had a teacher once who was stalked by one of her patients and he was sent to the state hospital...as for patients recognizing me, I had patients I worked with in inpatient care who recognized me and would come up and talk with me...and of course now that I work in the clinic everybody recognizes me and comes up to me...my husband and niece just sort of go look at other stuff in the store if a stranger approaches.:nuke:

inthesky · Mar 28, 2008

A patient approached me in a public setting once. I waited for her to speak to me first and I did not mention the hospital, but she did. I was actually glad to see her because she was DCed after a serious OD the next day feeling "great".. so yeah..it made me super nervous. seeing her a few days later at a craft fair made me smile.

rn4ever? · Mar 28, 2008

I haven't seen a patient stalk a staff member yet at our facility. Also, I'm thinking that any patient (from whatever floor) can stalk a nurse right? I don't think that Psych patients should be singled out in this case. So it's always best to protect yourself.