Stalked and Tackled: The chicookie story

Nurses General Nursing

Published

That is what I would describe my weekend working. Literally.

All weekend I was stalked by this maintenance man. First on Sat, he said I was really really pretty and then after that is seemed like everywhere I went there he was. Watching me. O_O Freaky, yes I know. I would come out a patients room and bam there he was. He did ask me out, in front of another nurse I might add, to which I said no just because he creeped me out. I never heard the end of it from the other nurses. Even when I said no he still had to have lunch with me when I took my lunch in the break-room. Fastest lunch ever. I was sitting there ready to eat my sandwich when he came in with his lunch. Still gives me the creeps. I was walking with a patient around the floor and the sweet old lady told me to watch out she thought he liked me. -_-

This happened all weekend.

On Sunday though, I was taking a walk like usual off the floor to clear my head and get a grip just because it seemed everything was going wrong. I had my Ipod on as I walked so I really didn't hear anything as I walked the empty halls, when all of a sudden BAM!! I was tackled by some dude that smelled really really bad. I am not sure if I was tackled or if he was running and ran into me but the only thing I remember is the floor and the garbage like smell. He was being chased by security, which made it even better because NONE of the security people stopped to help me up. When I finally got up and unjammed my earplugs from my ears, one came back and asked if I was ok. Gee thanks. I had just passed a corner which the dude had just turned when running which is why he didn't see me or so I was told. Maybe he tackled me just to provide a road block. It surely felt like a tackle. I never got the whole story from security because they were still busy trying to catch the guy. Plus I felt really woosy.

Anywho, I filled out the incident report and stuff and made my way back to the floor. Which I never heard the end of it from the nurses either. They said I was trying to get hurt so I could go home........ :D

So here I am Monday morning, after seeing a doctor friend of mine, since my primary office is closed, to make sure I didn't really get hurt. Just bruised more than anything.

It reminds me of that one Scrubs episode where JD gets tackled by the Alzehimers patient. Twice. Honestly, I thought that type of thing only happened on TV.

Since I have become a RN, I've had the strangest things happen to me.

The stalker thing isn't new. (I got alot of those working at the public library) But tackling runaways. Come on!

Even as I type this, I can't stop laughing. :D

Very funny story!!! I'm sitting here trying not to fall asleep after a dull night in the ED, and your story perked me right up. Thanks for that!

Specializes in Management, Emergency, Psych, Med Surg.

I really worry about someone stalking you at work because that type of behavior can escalate into something worse. You need to try to get this fixed. If your manager cannot help you, go to your HR department and talk to them. You have to get your complaint in writing. After that, if you do not get help, you need to make a report to the police and get a restraining order on him. This will probably **** him off and he will just get worse. Restraining orders are about as good as the paper they are written on but you have to have it on record. Then you have got to start watching your back. Make sure that you are not in situations where you are alone with this guy. If he gets near you, tell him to get away and don't be polite about it. Make sure someone is walking you to your car. There are plenty of cases where people were being stalked in the workplace that turned to violence. You have to take this guy seriously. He can hurt you.

Specializes in Critical care.

I thought I was the only one paranoid about work people! I get off late (9-10pm) from work and there are lots of empty hallways and elevators @ that time. I look at everyone suspiciously, it's like it could be too easy for someone to grab me and shove me into an empty bathroom.

Anyways, this thread reminded me of an Oprah episode featuring Gavin de Becker promoting his book, "The gift of fear." It was about how those gut instincts that someone or something isn't right should be listened to and about personal safety. I read it a few years ago, it's a great book.

https://www.gavindebecker.com/books-gof.cfm

Specializes in NICU.

I think you have had plenty of suggestions about the maintenance guy, and I agree, if he continues the same behavior, talk to your boss.

As far as being tackled in the hallway, did that get reported to Employee Health or whoever does Workers Comp stuff at your hospital? You should not have to pay for any health care after an incident on the job. We can go to the ER, or to Employee Health when they are open, but the most important thing is to fill out the paperwork. If you don't do that and find you were really injured, you have no recourse.

Specializes in Peds Hem, Onc, Med/Surg.

Thanks everyone! I really appreciate the comments!

Oh I wasn't scared of him. Not in the least. I might be little-ish but I am not scared of anyone. I did see him when I went to work and he tried to talk to me but unfortunately he got me on a really bad day, as I was bruised and hurting plus I was in a general bad mood, and I let him have it. I saw him again in the afternoon and he didn't even look at me.

In regards to go to Employee health. I went after I filled out the incident report and they checked me out that day and they just told me that I was bruised and that it wasn't going to be a big deal but I don't trust them so I went to a doc. ^_^

I just think its hilarious how all this weird stuff happens to me. Typical. :D

Specializes in SICU, Peds CVICU.
I thought I was the only one paranoid about work people! I get off late (9-10pm) from work and there are lots of empty hallways and elevators @ that time. I look at everyone suspiciously, it's like it could be too easy for someone to grab me and shove me into an empty bathroom.

Anyways, this thread reminded me of an Oprah episode featuring Gavin de Becker promoting his book, "The gift of fear." It was about how those gut instincts that someone or something isn't right should be listened to and about personal safety. I read it a few years ago, it's a great book.

https://www.gavindebecker.com/books-gof.cfm

That's an amazing book! I recommend it to all the women I know.

I thought the guy that tackled you was going to turn out to be the maintenance man. Glad it wasn't and that you are OK.

Seriously thought I would be careful about this maintenance man and not reveal personal info about yourself. I think it raises a redflag that someone is hanging around your unit for no clear reason. Look at it like this, what if you were in a mall and someone was following you around? I know a nurse that got assaulted in a parking garage @ work once so just be careful!

Gosh I am so glad you are OK. I agree it raises a red flag.

This is an excellent reminder that we all need to keep our wits about us. I was mugged years ago and I didn't hear them come up on me because I had headphones on (this was wayyyy back in the day of walkmans and cassettes). Scared the pee pee out of me. The police took great pains to "educate" me about earphones.

If he is there, you need to take a direct approach and tell him in no uncertain terms that he doesn't belong on the floor if he isn't doing a specific task. Responding passively to flirtatious stalking is the same as encouraging it in the distorted thinking of these desperadoes. If he still doesn't get the message, call his department and tell them that you have found one of their employees that seems to be misplaced.

Seriously, don't put up with his shenanigans. And be totally prepared for him to turn on you and make it sound like you're all full of yourself and conceited because he was never interested in you in the first place. It's a way of saving face.

Absolutely right.

Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.

i've been stalked -- creepy! the first time was by a psych patient i met during my psych rotation. this guy had been arrested at the local college bar for ripping off women's skirts and hoop earrings. when i met him in the psych ward, the first thing out of his mouth was "i remember ripping the hoops right out of your ears! you were really drunk." (i was really drunk, and i remembered him, too.) i got my assignment changed, but then he was discharged. i'd come home and find him lounging around on my front stoop, or sitting across the street in a lawn chair, watching my house. one day i woke up, looked out the window and saw a him staring at me through my bedroom window! (i was on the second floor, and he had climbed the tree next to my house!) i called the police, and they said they couldn't do anything. so then i called my dad.

the next day, my stalker was sitting in the tree outside the window and dad was sitting on the bed, cleaning his guns. i never saw the stalker again!

years later, someone (i never figured out who) at work was stalking me. they'd even call me on the work phone 70 or 80 thimes a night. i was living in spokane, washington where the summers are really hot, and because i didn't have a/c i had the back door open (with the screen door closed) to get a little breeze through the house. this guy walked into my back yard, saw the open door and came straight into my house while i was sleeping during the day. i heard the commotion when my female golden retriever (while the male cowered under the bed) burst out of my bedroom, scrambled down the hall and through the living room, claws slipping on the hardwood floors and knocked the guy down. i got up just in time to see him crawling out the back door on hands and knees with my growling golden hanging off his leg! for weeks, she slept in the kitchen near the back door and growled every time she heard a noise. i never heard from the stalker again.

Specializes in ER/Trauma.

to the op:

i'm glad you found some humor from the incident.

but i agree with what rn/writer said.

as funny as this incident might be in retrospect - please don't take chances.

i've been stalked.

and it's not pretty! not by any stretch of the imagination!

she was all sweet and nice at first but boy! did she 'reveal her true colors'!! after a few months of 'trying', i gave up. it was obvious that we were not 'compatible' (to put it kindly). i was disappointed - this was a relationship i thought was going to 'work out... and eventually become the big thing', y'know?

i broke the news as gently as i could. that i respected her self and her opinions/values... but i didn't share the same values/opinion. she took the news calmly - which i took to be a 'good sign' (wrong!)... i thought she'd come to the same conclusion that we each had different opinions about life and relationships.

the first problems started with the phone calls. said calls escalated both in frequency and in abuse.

i ended up having to change my phone number. and when that didn't work (she showed up at my apartment!), i ended up switching apartments and phone numbers. she eventually went back home (to europe) but her 'online harassment' continued. so i stopped using most im/chat systems/programs.

it's one of the reasons i try and guard my privacy these days as best as i can. once bitten, twice shy.

i mean gee, would it hurt is just once you got the nice cute normal guy with a good job? lol!
there's plenty of 'em around. maybe y'all are lookin' in the wrong spots (or looking at the wrong fellas?) :)

i heard the commotion when my female golden retriever (while the male cowered under the bed) burst out of my bedroom, scrambled down the hall and through the living room, claws slipping on the hardwood floors and knocked the guy down. i got up just in time to see him crawling out the back door on hands and knees with my growling golden hanging off his leg! for weeks, she slept in the kitchen near the back door and growled every time she heard a noise. i never heard from the stalker again.
ruby! i'm glad you walked away from that ok!

please give your doggies (especially your female one) an extra hug, an extra kiss and whole load of treats! dogs are great!

i'm looking to buy a home with a yard (i live in an apartment right now) because i think it'd be inappropriate to coop a big dog in an apartment... there you have it! my rationale for 'buying a house'! :D

cheers,

+ Add a Comment