A patient spit in my face

[ItsThatJenGirl]

I'm relatively new to my PCA/CNA position. I work on a cardiac floor and generally enjoy it. Yesterday I was pulled to 1:1 obs for a patient. As I was changing the patients brief, he/she spit in my face. My mouth was closed, thankfully.

Now, being spit on sucks big time, but the part that bothered me the most was the response from the nurse. When I told her what happened, she said "yeah, he/she does that". She didn't warn me beforehand, she didn't ask if I needed time to clean up, she didn't really seem to give a crap. I get that she's busy, everyone is. But damn. A little empathy would have gone a long way in making me more comfortable - especially since I had several more hours of sitting to do.

Just venting I guess.

[JadedCPN, BSN, RN]

The thing that makes this nurse an Ass wasn't that they didn't tell you the patient was a spitter - it is very possible that they got caught up in their thoughts and it slipped their mind. What makes them an ass was their response once you told them what happened, and their lack of empathy, compassion, or even just an apology.

I have been guilty of forgetting to mention something major to my CNAs by accident. One incident that comes to mind was forgetting to let her know on night shift that our kiddo didn't have a left arm - it had been amputated years before so wasn't related to the admission - and the poor CNA went in to get vitals at midnight, looking for a left arm to put the blood pressure cuff on . She came out and called me out on it, and I couldn't stop apologizing. Thankfully she had a good sense of humor about it after the fact!

Everyone makes mistakes or forgets things every now and again - it is all in how you deal with it afterwards.

[Alex_RN, BSN]

Some compassion was definitely in order, but the nurse was just human and made a mistake. There is no point in dwelling on it, though you will certainly show some compassion when you see it happen to someone else.

I was once checking pupils on a comatose patient when she coughed, right onto my naked face. I felt moisture hit my lips and eyes. I was horrified! That was when I went back to eyeglasses and stopped wearing contact lenses at work.

[RNNPICU, BSN, RN]

Sorry that happened to you. Not sure why your co-worker responded as she did. It could be several reasons... maybe this was the 20th time this week the patient did that and she is just over it, (does not take away from the fact that it happened to you), it just didn't register that it might have made you feel bad. she just didn't care, she was distracted by something else and wasn't really thinking about the fact that you were just spit on.

[OpinionatedCNA, CNA]

However you feel about the nurse, I would file a work report and initiate whatever protocol there is for exposures. You don't know what these patients have and you have to be proactive to protect your own health (obviously your company or your coworkers won't). It's all fun and games until you get hepatitis.

[Leader25, ASN, BSN, RN]

It is shocking isn't it to find some of the most callous b*^&^* in this profession.Well now you know,it is like driving a car, drive defensively, just in case ........

[kjb_lpn]

First - let me say that I am sorry that happened. Second of all; I would go to the nursing manager about the situation. Explain that you don't want anyone to get in trouble, but you want to express your concern. The nurse should have taken the time to tell you to be mindful of that if it's a regular behavior.

[Creamsoda, ASN, RN]

Wow how terrible. I hope you went to employee health right away! If you didnt, still go ASAP

[iluvivt, BSN, RN]

Yes...she should have told you as this puts you at an increased risk for exposure to potentially infectious body fluids.While we all wear PPE...how many of us always have goggles on.I understand as I am often not told key facts when I go to perform IV care. Don't you think it would have been wise to tell me that the patient has been verbally abusive ....the patient has been refusing IV starts but do it anyway (no I will not)....the patient has been poked 8 tines before we called you.This happens all the time to me and it should not.I would have politely asked the nurse after the incident that in the future that you be infomed of any issue that puts you at increased risk for exposure to pts bodily fluids.They can't argue with that

[Red07]

People are ridiculous im soo sorry

[ComeTogether, LPN]

Some of the best knowledge you will acquire while your'e in school and as.a CNA is how you do not want to be when you're a nurse. I'm sorry this happened, shame on that nurse.

[FolksBtrippin, BSN, RN]

Not cool that she didn't warn you. Also, use a mask with eye shield when changing this pt.

[ILoveHorsesRN, ADN]

That's why I started in the NICU straight out of nursing school. Smaller spits, smaller poops, everything is smaller and they are innocent. Maybe someday you will work with babies instead.