Ever experience violence at work???

[aoguagha]

I am conducting an online survey for my Masters thesis. My thesis topic and research is about violence against healthcare personnel specifically nurses and physicians with the goal of understanding the causes of the violence perpetuated and ways to improve prevention methods.

I am inviting you to participate in this online anonymous survey so that the culture of violence in hospital can be assessed and stopped. This survey invites you to answer questions your experience with violence perpetuated by patients.

The project is being conducted by researchers at Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Tongji Medical College. No identifying information is requested on the survey and it will take an estimated 10 minutes to complete.

If you are interested in completing the online survey, you can do so at

www.surveymonkey.com/r/hustviolence

Thanks so much! :)

[audreysmagic, RN]

Definitely a topic we need to talk more about in this field. Took the survey, and good luck with your research!

[sevensonnets]

I got punched in the face once by a guy that was way overdue for dialysis.

[cyc0sys]

I believe most people are reactive, instead of proactive, when a violence situation occurs. Then it's only a matter of time before things escalate. I'd recommend taking a self defense course based on adrenal stress conditioning or at least picking up a copy of Verbal Judo by George J. Thompson. No amount of training, policies, and security can replace cautionary thinking and situational awareness. Even in modern society, we're all not far from the 'mouth of the cave'.

[Graduatenurse14]

I completed it. GOOD LUCK!!

[Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN]

I completed the survey.

Now, be advised that I work in psych, so violence in of one form or another from patients is pretty much an expected occurrence. Verbal violence occurs far more often than physical.

[foggnm]

I think most hospital nurses have had patients assault them (usually related to etoh, drugs, etc.). I've also had co-workers that were assaulted in the building by mentally unwell visitors. But I think your survey is related to coworker psychological violence, not patient violence.

[sevensonnets]

But there are many of us who have never seen or experienced workplace violence. I have not seen it in 37 years working in a Catholic hospital because any situation with the potential to escalate to violence is promptly dealt with.

[ohiobobcat]

I used to work on a physical rehab floor as a CNA. I was one-on-one with a brain injured patient who was in his 20s, but had the mental capacity of a 3 year old. He was getting agitated because we had changed his access to the hall because he had no sense of physical boundaries with other people and was making other patients and visitors uncomfortable.

He wanted to go into the hall and I got to be the one to tell him no that day. He didn't like that so he punched me in the face.

I was bruised, but no broken bones or loose teeth. The next time the patient saw me he came up to me an rubbed my shoulder, which was his way of apologizing.

His was a sad story (OD'd on Klonopin). I think of him every now and then and wonder how he's doing. Last I heard he was transferred to a long-term care facility specializing in patient with brain injuries in a different state.

I got bruised a few times while trying to restrain an agitated patient in the ER (with other staff), but that wasn't directed specifically at me, more the situation.

[Cat365]

I had a patient try to bite and kick me while doing a flue swab the other day, but she was two and restrained. :)

Seriously I work ER and we have police present. Also, apparently I am a good dodger. I have had patients take a swing at me but normally they have dementia or are detoxing. I have never really felt "threatened". I'm usually good at defusing verbal threats and I always have backup.

[DextersDisciple, BSN, RN]

I filled out the survey -- now can we share stories?

I had just started my shift when the nursing supervisor, my manager and the risk manager showed up on my unit asking for a SICU bed for a staff member who was being rushed to surgery. One of the psychiatrists on staff was in her office early, working on notes and a patient (who should not have been able to enter that part of the hospital without a key card) shot her and then himself. Sadly, the staff member did not make it out of the OR. Equally sadly, the patient did, although he had managed to shoot off most of his face.

And then there was my friend, Bert, who was employed as a nursing supervisor by the VA. He was called to a Med/Surg floor by their charge nurse because a veteran who was unhappy with his benefits was threatening to "fix" one of the physicians with a .45. Bert was trying to "reason" with the guy (who was holding the .45 at his side, pointed toward the floor). When the guy started raising the gun, Bert started running for cover. He dove behind a wooden desk just in time to get a gluteus Maximus full of splinters -- big splinters, the kind that have to be surgically removed.

And then there was the former colleague who got between a husband and the wife he had beaten so badly she was in ICU. The knife wounds weren't fatal to my colleague, but they did put the nail in the coffin of his career, and the wife who survived that attack did not survive a subsequent one.

Ruby Vee this made my jaw drop, especially the psychiatrist story.

[RosesrReder, BSN, MSN, RN]

Took survey.

Chased around with a dirty drug IV user's needle because he was not getting the pain medication he requested.

Met in the employee parking lot by an angry father who's child was my patient and child protective services was on the case.

Punched and spit at because patient was put on a restricted diet by MD.

[K9lover, ASN, RN]

Indeed I have; as a new grad nearly had a lil lady with advanced dementia try to bite me, 0300 am, I was straddling her in the bed holding her wrists while she kept leaning forward attempting to chomp me (don't ask how I came to be straddling her, best recollection was that I sat at the bedside when she changed from a sweet 'lil thing to all teeth.) I didn't want her to get OOB and fall nor did I want to get bit. Mission accomplished when a colleague heard me yelling for restraints. 18 years later had a guy who was alert/oriented, just an angry patient, teaching hospital and he grabbed my hand and began to squeeze. He would have broken my hand if not for the resident standing next to me who extricated my hand; thank you, doctor. I actually feel much safer since I began working in corrections...1st time an inmate started giving me a load of grief arresting officer yells "ANSWER HER QUESTIONS!" I said "officer, where have YOU been all of my career? "No matter what task at hand is I am never out of police and/or DOC officers' sight. There have been a few memorable incidents which don't all come to mind, one patient had everything restrained except one leg and I could see it in his eyes he was going to kick, I leaned back and his foot brushed against my forehead, the student nurse with me thought it was impressive. I told her just practice reading angry peoples' faces...