Got Beat Up Badly In Face By Patient

[Aviationurse]

NEED ADVICE....yesterday we were short staffed and our charge nurse usually dont take patients...have u ever heard of such....he said he is not supposed to...anyway we were short with rn and tech...one of our patients who was a wrist cutter went into mens bedroom where there were x2 male patients sleeping....i told her not to go to the male room and got punched close fist multiple times on the head, face, eye, and i have lacerations on my hand and MY face is swollen...i went to er and thankfully the facial bone xray came out negative..but i have soreness the next day. the patient never get into restraint...they put her back into her room and gave her prn shot later....we all know she did not go into restraints so charge nurse wont be bothered with paperwork and utilizing rn to do 1 : 1...they never notified security saying SHE WAS CALM AND COOPERATIV3E..i was in er x4 hours..nobody from my unit even bothered to call how i was doing...i ended up calling house supervisor / security/ etc myself.

2. MY BOSS SAID SINCE SHE WAS CALM AFTER I GOT BEATEN UP...THERE WAS NO NEED FOR HER TO GO ON RESTRAINTS...WTH?:smokin:

3. when security called charge nurse and asked why they were not notified of battery...they said " no need to bec she was calm after she hit me"

moral lesson of this story: in psych unit where i worked, staff just take care of themselves and choose to act depending only on certain staff/ person...they make their own rules depending on who is in charge:yeah::yeah:...every minute the rule change on our job...

thanks everyone for listening everyone:bowingpur:bowingpur:bowingpur i know what im going to do for my carreer future...

[aloevera]

I can't imagine how this happened to you....in our facitlity we always file incident report and ALWAYS SEND SOMEONE WITH INJURED PARTY to the hospital with them....

No, the pt. did not need restraints after the fact if she was calm, I agree with other posts on that...

Your facility is in need of an overhaul it sounds like....get out while you can and find something else....

HUGS to you and follow up with your physician immediately, take pictures, and keep all records....

[Charles66]

As a charge nurse, I would at least medicate the attacker. Being calm is no guarantee of the patients next act. She was probably calm before attacking the first time. Some people are just violent. The best way to affect the behavior is for some type of consequence. The hospitals should automatically press charges in such a case, if the nurse agrees.

I wonder how long it took to get help. Such patients should be placed in isolation for a time also. There should be state facilities available to ship such patients to :madface:after they attack. This should be automatic. Or they should go to jail. The jails like to give us their "suicidal" patients, but don't want the violent ones.

It is too easy for criminals to feign suicidal thoughts, then hide out in the psych unit.

[bollweevil]

I hope you are ok. I know that you must have pain and bruises, of both body and soul. It will take time to heal emotionally, probably longer than the physical.

Absolutely take pictures. Right now before bruises fade and swelling is gone. Color pictures.

Absolutely file a police report - not just with security at your job - but with local police department.

Insist on being given the Workers' Compensation information and forms you need to get the proper care and get it paid for and get it now. At your convenience, not the job's. Some bosses tell you you can't go to ER until after work. Hogwash. You go when you feel the need to go. And you are entitled to see the doctor of your choice, I believe, in addition to whoever the job sends you to.

Get a lawyer to protect your own interests. The job cares nothing about you, most likely. You must fight foryourself and have an advocate and protector on your side.

We cannot restrain as punishment. The shot might very well have been adequate and reasonable. There should be some loss of privileges of the client, though, and you can speak with the manager and doctor about that if you think the floor staff are not dealing adequately with this. If the client is never corrected, how will she ever learn anything?

Are you in a short-term place or long-term?

Write down your version of what happened, what factors might have been contributing to the problem, such as inadequate staffing, nurses not responding to changes in patient's behavior that you reported to them, whatever. Do this now while it is all fresh in your mind. Tell no one you wrote it. Just have it for your own information. The time might come to mention it to your lawyer.

I wish you well.

[bollweevil]

thanks guys for the reply...my head /eye still hurts..i am peace loving and instead of going thru the TIME AND ENERGY of finding alawyer...ill just used that time to find another job and quit.....in our facility, there is no union and our dingbat manager is a sucker of my senior charge nurse who is a male charge nurse/bouncer ...she beleives anything he says...my senior charge nurse make BIG MONEY /LUXURY CARS/ BIG JEWELRIES / ROLEX WATCH/ DIFFERENT SHOES EVERY DAY ETC and dont do ****....i want to quit right away but i need health insurance and also my dad is undergoing chemo/radiation and i am the only caregiver so i want to quit in style and not in haste....DUDE,

I GOT CORNERED ON THE BACK OF DOOR OF MALE PATIENTS ROOM AND SCREAMED SO HARD...THE DINGBAT CN JUST SAT IN THE NURSES STATION AND THE CLERK/MENTAL TECH/SOCIAL WORKER WITNESSED AND NOT DO ****.....ALL MY SENIOR CHARGE NURSE SAID WAS SORRY..."U HAVE TO GO TO ER"...HE NEVER ASKED HOW I WAS BEC I TOLD THE HOUSE SUPERVISOR I HOPE I DONT HAVE TO END UP STAYING ALL NIGHT AND DO MY CHARTING AND 2100 MEDS AFTER I GET BACK FROM ER .....

ONLY X2 PEOPLE CALLED TO ASK HOW I WAS DOING FROM WORK AND NOBODY ELSE...IN OUR PSCY DEPT ....ANYBODY WHO DO SELF DEFENSE TO A PATIENT TO DEFEND THEMSELVES FROM GETTING INJURED GETS FIRED THE FF DAY....WE ARE SUPPOSED TO LET PATIENTS BEAT US ON AND ON AND ON.....WE DONT CARRY PERSONAL ALARMS EITHER AND ARE BOUNCERS ARE OUR FREQUENT FLYER PATIENTS BEC STAFF IS SO BUSY AND WE ARE ALWAYS SHORT STAFFED.....WE ARE A NON UNION HOSP...:smokin::smokin:

I AM THANKFUL FOR ALL YOUR REPLIES BEC I KNOW U GUYS UNDERSTAND AND I REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS...YES, I WILL LOOK FOR A JOB THAT IS SAFE AND BETTER MANAGED.....PEACE.....

GET A LAWYER. TODAY. DO NOT LET THESE PEOPLE DO THIS TO YOU.

Don't you have training in self-defense at your hospital as part of the job?

GET A LAWYER. TODAY. DO NOT LET THESE PEOPLE DO THIS TO YOU.

[bollweevil]

thanks guys for the reply...my head /eye still hurts..i am peace loving and instead of going thru the TIME AND ENERGY of finding alawyer...ill just used that time to find another job and quit.....in our facility, there is no union and our dingbat manager is a sucker of my senior charge nurse who is a male charge nurse/bouncer ...she beleives anything he says...my senior charge nurse make BIG MONEY /LUXURY CARS/ BIG JEWELRIES / ROLEX WATCH/ DIFFERENT SHOES EVERY DAY ETC and dont do ****....i want to quit right away but i need health insurance and also my dad is undergoing chemo/radiation and i am the only caregiver so i want to quit in style and not in haste....DUDE,

I GOT CORNERED ON THE BACK OF DOOR OF MALE PATIENTS ROOM AND SCREAMED SO HARD...THE DINGBAT CN JUST SAT IN THE NURSES STATION AND THE CLERK/MENTAL TECH/SOCIAL WORKER WITNESSED AND NOT DO ****.....ALL MY SENIOR CHARGE NURSE SAID WAS SORRY..."U HAVE TO GO TO ER"...HE NEVER ASKED HOW I WAS BEC I TOLD THE HOUSE SUPERVISOR I HOPE I DONT HAVE TO END UP STAYING ALL NIGHT AND DO MY CHARTING AND 2100 MEDS AFTER I GET BACK FROM ER .....

ONLY X2 PEOPLE CALLED TO ASK HOW I WAS DOING FROM WORK AND NOBODY ELSE...IN OUR PSCY DEPT ....ANYBODY WHO DO SELF DEFENSE TO A PATIENT TO DEFEND THEMSELVES FROM GETTING INJURED GETS FIRED THE FF DAY....WE ARE SUPPOSED TO LET PATIENTS BEAT US ON AND ON AND ON.....WE DONT CARRY PERSONAL ALARMS EITHER AND ARE BOUNCERS ARE OUR FREQUENT FLYER PATIENTS BEC STAFF IS SO BUSY AND WE ARE ALWAYS SHORT STAFFED.....WE ARE A NON UNION HOSP...:smokin::smokin:

I AM THANKFUL FOR ALL YOUR REPLIES BEC I KNOW U GUYS UNDERSTAND AND I REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS...YES, I WILL LOOK FOR A JOB THAT IS SAFE AND BETTER MANAGED.....PEACE.....

Don't assume that plenty of clothes, jewelry, etc. mean a super high income. Some people are seriously in deep, deep debt. They look good on the surface but owe lots of money. Never mind being jealous. Just take care of yourself legally. Learn Karate if you plan to stay in Psych.

[elkpark]

Learn Karate if you plan to stay in Psych.

I don't know where you're practicing, but in the several states in which I've practiced psychiatric nursing over the years, a staff member who used anything other than state- and facility-approved intervention techniques (designed to avoid injuring the client while protecting yourself) on a client would be open to criminal charges. You do not have an absolute, unrestricted right to protect yourself (in any way you choose) in psychiatric settings ...

[TopazStone]

This is one of my worst fears. It seems that psych is the bottom of the feeding chain everywhere as far as safety, staffing and funding are concerned. I worked nights on an in-patient unit and at change of shift, I had three patients. One of the med-surg nurses called over to DEMAND I send my single tech over to their unit to provide 1:1 with a suicidal patient. I'd had several run-ins with this particular nurse and I told her "First off, don't talk to me with that tone of voice. Second, it wouldn't matter if I had zero patients on the unit right now because State Law requires two staff members on the floor of a psych unit at all times. You will need to find another way to resolve YOUR staffing issues." She called the weekend nursing sup in a fury and was told I was right--on both counts. (The weekend sups were awesome and had all been required to work my unit at some point so they know the deal.)

I really think the system has taught some of these patients that there are no consequences for their actions. "Suicide" is a word that has become a magic ticket in our community for 3 hots and a cot. The shelters won't take you if you've been violent there or you are currently under the influence, so they go from hospital to hospital to crisis center saying they are suicidal (and some of them even admit it without thinking about the fact it gets documented). We've had people admit they told the cops they were suicidal to get out of legal consequences. They tell us that while they were in jail or prison, they were given tips on what to say and how to act to get psych services or "the good drugs." When these people threaten staff, they are able to file a complaint that they felt "disrespected" and this is why they acted out. Staff gets raked over the coals and the patient gets confirmation that they are allowed to behave this way.

I understand when a floridly psychotic patient goes over the edge. I know that many doctors have become conservative in treatment of aggressive/ agitated patients because of lawsuits. When I get orders to give Vistaril 50 mg or Risperdal 2 mg in a crisis, I always want to laugh and ask if I should wave it under their nose for all the therapeutic value it has. Management wants to scream about the number and length of restraints but then we have regulations for q15 minute VS on patients in restraints! I give a med to help them relax yet have to keep poking them for a BP check. I get spit at, attempts are made to bite me and why? It makes no sense when the person is on 1:1 observation. The people who make these regulations have been so far removed from direct care, they are clueless. I have been very lucky in the fact that I've worked mainly psych for 11 years and was hit two times while working a second job in a SNF (who woulda thunk gerians could move so quick) and once while restraining a patient, she reached over and sort of pushed my shoulder with her fist. My fault for not paying attention to her instead of the restraint strap. She wasn't trying to hurt me anyway, just putting on a show because she was supposed to be discharged in the morning.

I agree you should file an incident report, an unsafe staffing complaint, and worker's comp (just in case there is an issue later). I'd find another job too as your life is worth more than a paycheck. I hate hearing these kind of stories. I am sorry you are going through this {{{hugs}}}. I know I am strongly considering going into med-surg or ED nursing.

[psalm, RN]

We get psychotic patients on our med floor who come in with med problems. ER has intercepted knives and unconventional "weapons" before they send 'em to us. Yet if we attempt to set limits we are abusive. SIGH

[jpRN84, BSN, RN]

I'm sorry to hear that this happened to you. I hope you take all the necessary steps to protect your rights, good luck to you and I hope you are feeling better.

[Aviationurse]

I Agree With Everybody...all They Have To Say In Er Is They Hear Voices Telling Them To Hurt Themselves And That This Is An Excuse To Hide From Drug Landlord/dealers And Just Go From One Hosp To Another And Getting High After The Ssi Check Is Over. Instead Of Going To Jail...all They Said Is They Hear Voices...so They Are Able To Hide In Psych Units Until Check Day Comes On The First And Third Of The Month And This Is When They Rusched Out Of The Hosp To Collect Their Checks...i Know In Some State Hosps, Uninsured Foreign Born Patients Go There To Say That They Hear Voices To Hurt Themselves So That Once They Are A Patient In The State Hosp, Their Ssi Funding Would Be Faster And That They Dont Have To Go To Work For The Rest Of Their Lives....a Lot Of Psych Patients Treat Pscy Units As Spa Clubs...double Portions, Ensure With Every Meal , Nice Warm Bed, Free Medicine, Tv, Socialization, Yell And Punch Staff And Get Away With It...psych Units Are Much Better Then Staying In The Streets For Them...

I Appreciate All Responses And Advice And I Know I Will Move Out Fast To Ed Or Med Surg..and As What Topazstone Said..."our Life Is More Important Than A Pay Check"...my Bruises Still Hurt But Im Scared To Go To Lawyer Bec I Need My Pay Check Right Now To Pay For Bills Until I Find Myself A Better Safer Job To Work....peace To All...

[aloevera]

I am apalled by the facts I just read regarding the state hospitals........

Unbelievable !!! I work in a private psyche/addictions facility and luckily have never run across the type of pts. refered to in above post...Our pts. really do have mental problems and are not there for a hot and a cot....Most are insured or self pay,,,,maybe if you do enjoy psyche nursing you could check out the private facilites near you...sounds like they are completely different from state hospitals.

[faithful11]

I work at our State Psych Facility in CA. If a patient is CALM or has returned to baseline bx post assault, then you cannot place them in phsyical restraints. The reason is obvious---restraints are used as a PROTECTIVE OR PREVENTIVE measure, NOT for PUNISHMENT. Yes yes I know...I TOO thin patients should somtimes still be placed down...but that isn't the way it goes. As for PRN, a patient may be OFFERED a PO PRN if they are still agitated, based off assessment. You cannot LEGALLY force a behavioral prn (po or IM) onto a patient who has been RN assessed and found to be CALM (breathing,verbalizations, body cues, facial expression etc). There is no doctor or RN who would like to part of the abuse investigation or found to be named in a lawsuit (keep CRIPPA in mind) for violating the rights of the PATIENT.

Now, do I agree...not entirely. I get tired of seeing my coworkers and even other patients beat up and it seems nothing is being done about it. It isn't always a felony either. I know we have been told, and have found, that unless STITCHES are required, unless you LOSE CONCIOUSNESS they will not even arrest our forensic psych patients. Now...once they hit a PSYCHIATRIST or Medical Doctor--well, yeah...off to jail they go. LOL. But if they hit nursing staff or other patients...it takes a very aggravated intense assault to get any thing legal done about it.

Since you went to ER and have visible bruising, good luck and hope things are different in your state. Sorry to say---my coworker had visible bruising,had a PATCH of hair yanked out and was out from work for a couple days...no arresst. Of course, our facility does do incident reports, and we are excellent about that. The changes in psychiatric care, which there are many, make the use of restraints (chemical or physical) almost a thing of the past.:zzzzz