This is a good article I saw on USA Today, it was on their homepage for a few hours before it got bumped for something else (we are just nurses after all not that newsworthy). The article does well showcasing example of violence towards nurses in hot spot areas ER, ICU. However I do wish they would have interviewed a psych nurse, god knows we come across plenty of violence.
We all know though, that regardless of your specialty that nurses are victims of violence and it's an issue that really needs more attention.
Yes we're angels, heroes, people can applaud for us when something like Covid happens, but our everyday reality isn't newsworthy and our salaries don't reflect the risks we face on a daily basis.
I don't know how others feel and how it is in various different countries, but for myself as a dinosaur (qualified in 1986) I think that around the mid 90s there was a distinct shift in the way patients approach us. The respect has gone.
I remember in the 80s compliant patients who sat up straight ready for the blood pressure as soon as they saw you approaching with the dynamap (or in those days, the sphyg!!). They listened to what you said, readily took your advice and they said please and thank you. Violence towards a nurse was extremely rare and a public outrage.
These days you can go into a patient room and the mobile phone conversation is just continued while you're ignored. There's a lot of "can't you come back later?" yet when they buzz it's "I want and I want it now" They all know their rights and they'll question every prescribed treatment even if they've been on it for years. And sadly, violence has become commonplace in all areas.
Of course I'm describing two extreme scenarios: it wasn't always rosy back then and we still get some lovely patients of course, however, do any other oldies notice this shift I wonder?
I remember thinking people were absolutely nuts when I was in the ER.....I remember seeing the worst of humanity and on the rare occasion that there was a nice normal patient and family, it was absolutely shocking. When I transferred over to the surgical side of nursing, I was in complete shock. People had MANNERS! There are an occasional oddball or somewhat rude patient but that is a rare occasion. In fact, most of my surgical patients are an absolute joy and please to take care of. It’s a total cultural change from coming from the ER.
Ugh I’m so glad to hear this about surgical patients. I just got a PACU job after working med surg a couple years and I’m curious how the patient population will be in terms of rudeness and violence.
Ugh I’m so glad to hear this about surgical patients. I just got a PACU job after working med surg a couple years and I’m curious how the patient population will be in terms of rudeness and violence.
So much better! There is an occasional odd one but most are simply anxious for an upcoming procedure and very grateful to have basic kindness and empathy during a vulnerable part of their lives. Totally different world then the floors or ED!
And this is one of the reasons I don't know if I will ever return to the hospital from the Corrections environment: jail isn't perfect but compared to the hospital I worked, its safer than the hospital.
When I started as a CNA in LTC in the mid '90's occasional violence was so expected it was actually addressed in orientation. We had required annual training on how to safely defend ourselves without causing harm to the resident. Getting hit, kicked, spit on, even bit was just seen as part of the job.
While violence towards staff is never acceptable it was a little easier to tolerate when the violent patient is an elderly person with advanced dementia compounded by other untreated or undertreated psych diagnoses.
I can't even count the number I times I was assaulted over the years, fortunately I never suffered any lasting injury. I worked with a few who weren't so lucky. Workman's comp is a joke and takes forever for payment to be approved. Even when it is approved it's nowhere near the pay that is lost by not being able to work. Disability pay when and if it's actually approved for a career altering injury is also nowhere near the pay a person is used to getting from their job. I've worked with a few people who's careers were ended or greatly changed by on the job injuries resulting from workplace violence who never financially recovered.
Over the years it seems that thinking shifted, at least in LTC where I live. There's no more self defense training for staff. The first response beyond the immediate safety of both the resident and the staff is walk away, get the supervisor involved and they take it from there and escalate up to and including calling the police if need be.
The usual recourse for an out of control resident is a transfer to the hospital where at least they are legally able to administer sedating meds and apply physical restraints if needed. Then a transfer to a geri-psych unit if a bed can even be found. We had residents that transferred several hundred miles away because nothing closer could be found that would/could admit the patient. The staff that work in places like that are my heroes.
Only twice in the 25 years I worked in LTC was a resident that was deemed alert and oriented committed violence towards staff that resulted in an eviction from the facility. No charges were ever brought that I am aware of.
Of course violence toward staff regardless of the mental capacity of the resident was always treated as "just part of the job" but violence or even the potential of violence toward another resident opened a whole other great big can of worms!
speedynurse, ADN, BSN, RN, EMT-P
544 Posts
I remember thinking people were absolutely nuts when I was in the ER.....I remember seeing the worst of humanity and on the rare occasion that there was a nice normal patient and family, it was absolutely shocking. When I transferred over to the surgical side of nursing, I was in complete shock. People had MANNERS! There are an occasional oddball or somewhat rude patient but that is a rare occasion. In fact, most of my surgical patients are an absolute joy and please to take care of. It’s a total cultural change from coming from the ER.