Stuff Patients Have Smuggled onto the Psych Unit...

Nurses General Nursing

Published

I'm interested to know what kind of things you have found on your patients...

Here are some of mine:

Bullets

hypodermics

ropes

knives

a snake

cyanide capsule (discovered too late...pt's family brought it in for him-he died)

razors

Anything to add?

Specializes in Psychiatry, Case Management, also OR/OB.

I guess my two faves are 1.) a home made marijuana pipe constructed of aluminium foil, found it on the intake search in a sleeve lining along with his stash of pot. and 2.) an ice cold tall boy. I was doing the search on this guy, he had all his belongings on his back, I was going thru one duffle bag, and as I turned around he was downing this 32oz. cold beer!!! He was really thirsty, doncha know, going into detox!!!

Specializes in previously Med/Surg; now Nursery.

I've never worked in a psych unit, but I do work for a small town hospital that functions as the regional medical center. Many times the psych units are full so we must hold psych pts in our ICU until a bed becomes available at an appropriate facility. A paranoid schizophrenic was admitted during the night and placed on the med/surg unit until an ICU bed became available. The next morning an ICU bed was ready so he was transferred and I was assigned to the pt's care. The med/surg nurses had not searched him or searched his bag. I found a phillips head screwdriver and a chisel stuffed in the waist band of his jeans! :uhoh3:

Specializes in ORTHOPAEDICS-CERTIFIED SINCE 89.

I hope intake procedures have been changed appropriately for these things never to happen again.

I don't do psych, but as we all did take a semester of psychiatric nursing. Their intake was extensive. Totally undress, paper gown and body search by nurse with a witness of the same sex as the patient.

That cyanide incident is horrible. Why was the family member not brought back on charges. 747s fly both ways.

Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.

A 'regular' psych patient was found with drug paraphenalia in her room as well as Vicodin, MS Contin, and Xanax. This patient was admitted for hydrocodone dependence.

Specializes in OB.

Not smuggled in, but a roll of $300 stolen from another pt. found in the obvious orifice of a female pt. We had $20 bill floating in wescodyne (disinfectant) all over the nurses station that night!

I worked pysch for many years as a tech in a Baker Act receiving facility in Florida. We did extensive searches prior to entering the unit but we did once have a male patient sneak in a shank that was made in the county jail. During an arguement with another patient he pulled it out and began waving it and threatening others. After taking him down and condeming the weapon we noticed blood pooling on the ground. Apparently he had it between his scrotum and legs and when pulling it out left a nice 6 inch laceration that started near his orifice and ran 1 inch into his scrotum. I have heard of other stories like families smuggling in drugs and patients taking their life but never witnessed anything like that first hand.

Specializes in Med-Surg.

Police bring suicidal pt into the ER. Per protocol, pt was searched before being placed in the back of the police car. Well we're all human and things can get missed, especially I suppose if the patient's fighting you every step of the way... A nursing student was transporting the pt from the ER to the psych ward. Pt says to student: If everyone thinks I'm suicidal then why are they letting me have this?! and pulls out a knife.

Specializes in None...YET!.
I'm interested to know what kind of things you have found on your patients...

Here are some of mine:

Bullets

hypodermics

ropes

knives

a snake

cyanide capsule (discovered too late...pt's family brought it in for him-he died)

razors

Anything to add?

Oh, MY!

Specializes in ER, Teaching, HH, CM, QC, OB, LTC.

hand gun

lighter fluid with lighter

various drugs & works

sex toys????

+ Add a Comment