I think I read an article here somewhere that stated nurses are assaulted more than any other profession.
In my short 2 years as an RN, I've been assaulted (or seen other RN's assaulted) by patients MORE times than I can count (and I don't work in Psych)! I don't blame the patients who attacked me because their illnesses caused major changes in mental status and they didn't know what they were doing.
I DO, however, blame the RN's, Nursing assistants or MD's who DON'T know how to interact with these people and only make things WORSE! Do NOT snicker or giggle at a patient no matter how ridiculous their behavior might be....it doesn't help! And if a fellow nurse says "I need help in here" or "call security", please take it seriously!!!
I think it's the LOL's that are under 5 feet tall and around 100 pounds that are lethal. I was bit on my neck by a patient while I was transferring them. It was like being attacked by a rabid dog. I had to get blood tests and a tetorifice shot after.
Specializes in Acute rehab, LTC, Community Health.
The worst in LTC was the psych pt. who had been refusing her psych meds for quite some time. In trying to check her BGL, give insulin and pills, the resident attempted to smear blood in my mouth (has been known to put feces in others mouths) and threw a walker at me. For a while afterwards, I always had a "buddy" accompany me, at least to be a witness if something happened.
Lots of kicks, attempted bites and scratches, but usually from the dementia folks.
One that made me laugh the other night. One of her dementia patients frequently gets rowdy and needs to be sent to the geri psych unit for observation and for meds to be readjusted. The other night the resident would not sit down and was setting off her tab alarm. Her nurse approached her and asked, can I help you sit down." The resident replies in her sweet voice, "sure, but I'll kick your A*@." We believes her too, so we called in for back up. Eventually, she sat back down.
I've been a few times. I had a patient bite me, but it didn't break skin thank god. I've been pinched, kicked. I had an alzheimers guy smack me across the face. But he really didn't know what he was doing, and felt so bad immediately. He started kissing my hand, lol. He was one I had cared for multiple times, and was normally a sweetie.
I am so scared of bites. Not only that, but you can't even do anything to stop it...you have to wait until they let go. It's horrible knowing that you are there to protect others but can't do much to protect yourself.
I worked as a tech in TBI and neurobehavioral and every now and then we had some pretty nasty incidents. One problem we had was that the unit wasn't a locked down unit, but could be with the push of a button that secured all unit hall doors. More then once I was caught in the hall with a patient rampaging up and down the hall. Some nights i got in my 1k steps just running in circles just out of reach of a psych patient. We tried not to call security too often as our security were also special deputies with the sherrif's department and a few of our patients would get out of hand and end up handcuffed with abrasions, sometimes dislocations and broken bones. Needless to say security was called only when it was life or death. Worse I ever had happen to me aside from punches, bites and slaps was had a lit cigarette crushed against my face (found patient smoking in bathroom with smokes a friend had brought in) after reminding patient about unit smoking policies. In all honesty the only things that ever got to me are the poop flingers, especially the flingers who are perfectly right in the head and just want to disply their displeasure at staff in the most abhorrent manner possible. Learned to bring a spare set of scrubs to work to keep in my locker due to incidents like that.
Also it is hard to find staff or management that will back up a nurse who is injured by a patient. In TBI, Neuro, Psych I understand not wanting to place the patient in a situation with legal consequences but I've seen people AxO X3 and no underlying mental problems injure nurses, and the hospital (management/legal) have actively disuaded nurses from pressing charges.
:idea:If you dont mind me asking (all of your more experienced nurses), where do most of these assults/verbal words/bitings happen? I did phlebotomy for about two years, and I never saw any of the nurses go thru a situation like that. Im about to start nursing school this november. I didnt know that things in this department could that bad (especially with other co workers). It makes me think twice about making sure I have a strong attorneys.
Again I was just wondering where most of these incidents happened. Im only 23, so I apologize for asking so many questions.
Thanks again,
NewbeTonursing
It all depends on where you work. I work at the County hospital which is also the only Level 1 Trauma center in the Region, it's a daily occurrence for us to have someone hit, kicked, bitten, etc. But very few of these people are A&Ox4, most are DT'S, head trauma's, AMS. As a decent sized male nurse, the blows have never been so bad that I was actually injured, it has hurt few a few minutes but that's it. I never call a code on the incidents, what is security going to do say "Bad Rt sided brain flap, don't do that again", I just chart the bahavior and move on. Another hospital in our network that is not County or a level 1 almost never has this happen, it all depends on the facility's patient population
I once had a pt tell me that they were tempted to take a box cutter and force me to take them down to our pharmacy so they could get to the good stuff. Without missing a beat I said: "You wouldn't get far because we have a K-9, and I'm in the right place to get sutures if I need them." Patient assured me it was all in jest.
Regardless, I notified security and my charge nurse. Pt was searched. Turns out they had a large pocket knife and several box cutters. They were also known to be violent on previous visits. Since I hadn't felt threatened PD was not called, and I remained the pt's RN with security on stand by. The pt understood I had to follow protocol, and gave me no trouble after that.
I worked AL in a large LTC. Pts were great...I was assaulted by a private duty aide for waking her up so I could enter the patient's room to obtain a urine C&S. Called police and DON...aide was taken out in handcuffs...plea bargained before trial-she can't work as an aide ever again.
did you report her??? or file a police report?? You should NEVER let another nurse (or any mentally stable person) assault you without pressing charges against them!
Unfortunately no. I'm still a student and I was afraid of bad repercussions if I spoke out. (The staff is REAL close knit.)
I just sort of bandaged myself, and went back out. Then I went home to my haagen daz and sniffled.
I work ER and was bitten a couple of months ago. The bite broke the skin...this guy would NOT let go despite multiple people attempting to restrain him. You better believe I pressed charges! He knew exactly what he was doing. I'm very fair skinned and the bite mark that is still on my wrist is the ONLY part of my arm that is tanning this summer...very cute!
While this is not the only injury I've ever received from a patient, thankfully it is the worst. There have been numerous times I've been very afraid for my safety! We desperately need better security!
wynnie78
5 Posts
I think it's the LOL's that are under 5 feet tall and around 100 pounds that are lethal. I was bit on my neck by a patient while I was transferring them. It was like being attacked by a rabid dog. I had to get blood tests and a tetorifice shot after.