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! :)

[K9lover, ASN, RN]

Had a classmate who I grew-up with. He moved post-graduation to Washington. He LOVED ER; he was in great shape, rock-climber, avid hiker. One day he leaned over the gurney of a patient he thought was still passed out cold from ETOH, the patient caught him off guard and threw him over the foot of the gurney. Brutal C-spine injury and subsequent surgeries; his life was never the same and he had to quit working. He pushed quite hard to have that patient charge with felony assault and he succeeded!

The defense was that my friend should have known it was an occupational hazard inherent to nursing and that his client was intoxicated. My friend will never have life as he knew it back but he had some measure of closure charging the assailant with felony assault; I believe as a profession this should be done more often. Excluding folks with dementia where did this idea that violence against healthcare providers should be accepted come from? Drunk and/or angry people should be charged just as they would be if they assaulted anyone else.

[K9lover, ASN, RN]

Did the survey :)

[TeenyTiny, ADN, BSN]

Done. Some questions had to be answered as if I worked with adult patients. Fortunately, a newborn has never physically attacked a co-worker.

Sometimes that is even worse though, as you have the families to contend with. In a NICU they can be very scary.

Filled out the survey for you. Best wishes in your research!

[Neats, BSN]

I have experience in the prison system. When you are hired the prison puts you through a "bootcamp" type training. This can be up to 8 weeks depending on what state, and what kind of job you have. One of the classes is titled Verbal Tactical Skills. Now I have always been a little Snarky hehe...but this class taught me to focus and get out of situations like a pro. I highly recommend hospitals and SNF's or anyone who is in the healthcare arena find a similar class and go for it. Please note this is not like crucial conservations. This class is scenario based on what a persons says in high stress environment's and how you respond.

In one prison I was in the infirmary that had 20 beds (just like a sub-acute/med surg environment). No correctional officer and only exit was a very slow elevator. I turned the community TV down because the phone was ringing off the hook, meds had not been passed, and the prior nurse had a really bad day too... this made the 6 offenders angry, they got their friends and down the hall they came after me...I at first gave them directives to stop and go to their rooms some did some just did not stop coming at me. There was about 10 left I again was able to make them stop and think about what they were about to do...we kept talking for what seemed like an eternity but it was only about 45 seconds...then they had enough came at me and the elevator door opened up with 2 officers. My verbal skills kept me safe until I could escape. However if I had to do over I would have talked with the offenders who were watching TV and asked them politely to turn the TV down while I was on the phone this would have avoided the whole situation. They did write me a letter apologizing it wasn't even sports... it was the TV show Matlock. irony....

I come from the day you got up for the physician....now my expectation is I am a professional and I do not allow anyone to treat me in a physical or verbal abusive way, nor do I treat anyone this way.