Ever feel abandoned in hostile situations?

[mattsmom81]

I had a strange situation as agency. An older woman w dementia became literally like a prize fighter...kicking, scratching, slugging us...it was like super human strength and she surprised us. We were just 2 agency nurses alone on an isolated unit...hard to manage this with just 2, and our other patients needed attention as well and we were unable to get away so I called the super for help...she acted like I was troubling her without reason. Even a passing doc tried to help us but backed out when her fists landed on him. I asked about calling a code white to subdue this woman and she looked at me like I was crazy. Apparently they feel this behavior is acceptable??...yeesh! I have black and blue marks and scratches everywhere. The supe shrugged it off. Any of ya'll have situations like this where you feel 'abandoned' by the other nurses in the facility?? How did you handle it? This is one of the bad things about agency...varied support in tough situations. Oh and PS the doc refused sedation orders for the woman.

[mattsmom81]

We've always been taught that if we get hit it's our fault for "invading" their space. When they are agitated we have to back off and reapproach.

Huh? Is this in acute care? We have to 'invade their space' to care for them and their myriad of tubes, lines, cables, monitors, etc. in many cases...and we can be held liable if they hurt themselves too.....gotta love how administrators always seem to try to make everything the nurses' fault...even when we get hurt on the job.

[barefootlady, ADN, RN]

I hope you took the time to file an occurrance report and workers comp. I know this sounds drastic, but a bite can cause infestion, muscles pulled during a emergency don't always hurt that instant. I would document that super was well aware of danger patient was to self, staff, and other patients. Hope you called doc to sedation orders and got orders for restraints if necessary. I have been in your shoes, was off work for quite awhile because a patient "fell" on me while others watched. Muscles in back were a mess, needed to rest them, have heat tx, and developed an exercise program. I was threatened with firing, but I said I had a lawyer, so I was allowed time to heal. After reading your account of the incident, seems like barebones staffing and inapproiate admission was a big cause of this incident. Patients with HX of psych behaviors need to be placed where they can be watched, one on one if necessary, but too many facilities admit with another diagnosis listed as main cause and this leads to problems. I used to be the ER screening nurse for this type of patients and believe me, I always had to argue with super for approiate placement on floor. I do feel like I saved many an injury because I stood my ground and did what was best for patient and staff. Too bad they finally ruled the job too costly and placed me in another position. After that, we had code whites nightly.

[mattsmom81]

Thanks for your story Barefootlady. Anything that translates to needing more nurses is going to be viewed as hostile by management...and your good asessments no doubt saved many nurses injury, good for you for trying. Your story illustrates exactly what I see going on in hospitals too.... downplaying serious psych problem. Then if the nurse gets hurt, she obviously did 'something' wrong.