Has anyone ever had to call Police & file charges against a Patient?

[Emergency RN]

has anyone ever had to call police & file charges against a patient?

part 1. if so, what support did you get from your administration? did they back you, or did they purposely obstruct your case or discouraged you from pursuing it? did your hospital use it's team of lawyers to back you up or use them to threaten you instead?

part 2. what, if any, legislation is active in your state that protects nurses from being assaulted while on duty, or in uniform?

thanks to all respondents

[bluemartian, BSN]

I had a pt when I was in nursing school that was arrested along with his visitor for smoking crack in his room,

[traumaRUs, MSN, APRN]

Yep - have done it twice in the 10 years I worked in ER:

1. First incident - I was walking down the hall, pt broke out of security officer's grasp, came thru the curtains and hit me in the face...truly I was just walking down the hall, minding my own business when this dude jumped me. I got a bruised face and black eye out the deal....he went to jail for 6 months and has another felony to add to his record.

2. Second incident, pt spit in my face. Yep, pressed charges again and he went to jail for 30 days.

Both times, administration totally backed me up, had no problems at all. In IL, its a felony to assault a health care worker while they are doing their jobs.