Have you been assaulted by a patient?

Nurses Relations

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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!!!

Just curious how often this happens to others.

Specializes in LTC,Altzhiemer's,Family practice, rehab.

Got real good at dodging the flying fists and swift kicks but once, when I was tired, a really big Altzhiemer's caught me under the chin with his knee....HARD (i was removing his shoes). I was able to stay consious but was dizzy for a good while. Another time I was punched in the side of my pregnant stomach while putting a normally pleasent gentleman to bed, he was in alot of pain from a wound on his ankle. Took everything in me to not walk off the job right then and there.

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Specializes in Rural, Midwifery, CCU, Ortho, Telemedicin.

"Ironically, she feels safer in a prison than in a hospital. "

Absolutely. I was told when I started correctional nursing that it was safer in the prison than on the street because all the "bad guys" wore uniforms. In the prison help is either right smack there or just the push of an alarm or blow of a whistle away. And thought the "patients" are really not nice people in most cases you don't have some never-cared-for-a-patient-since-they-were-forced-to-care-for-a-virtual-patient-in-nursing-school administration person telling you that you don't have the right to protect yourself. Just the opposite.:uhoh3:

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i have a friend who was punched in the jaw by a med/surg patient in nursing school. her jaw was badly fractured. she went directly into correctional nursing and said she likes corrections because an officer is always with her or close by. ironically, she feels safer in a prison than in a hospital.

i understand that patients who are unaware of their surroundings can act out and hurt medical staff, but will not understand patients and family members who are quite aware and act out their frustrations on medical staff. i believe hospital/facilities should still take responsibility for any medical staff that gets hurt by "their patients" no matter the situation. hearing your supervisor say "well, mr. jones is just out of it; so we cannot really blame him" is an unacceptable and irresponsible statement to make to anyone. this is where the facility needs to take a stronger stand in protecting their employees; thus low turnover and a staff that only speaks well of their jobs and management! this is what every facility/hospital should work towards not only the "bottom dollar line"!!!! :up:

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got real good at dodging the flying fists and swift kicks but once, when i was tired, a really big altzhiemer's caught me under the chin with his knee....hard (i was removing his shoes). i was able to stay consious but was dizzy for a good while. another time i was punched in the side of my pregnant stomach while putting a normally pleasent gentleman to bed, he was in alot of pain from a wound on his ankle. took everything in me to not walk off the job right then and there.

again, this is exactly what i have been talking about throughout this post. we need to come together and make changes. management needs to see we will not tolerate this behavior and allow them to blame it on "the patient's condition". all medical staff need to file complaints with their supervisor and then follow up to make sure something is being done. do not allow anyone to tell you to turn the other cheek; do we need to wait until one of our own is killed by a "stressed/drugged patient"? is this when we take a stand?

i realize my post sounds hard, but i've been on the other side and it makes the job miserable as you don't know where the next punch is going to come from; especially if you know that management does not protect you. so, please do yourself and your fellow nurse/cna's a favor and file a report or press charges whatever fits in your case. then and only then, will we see more protection by management for our welfare. :up:

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Specializes in Emergency Department, Neuro ICU.

I've had patients on drugs come up off the streets with large switch blades on them and once had a hostile patient come in with a gun in her purse. Never had any weapons used on me and I've seemed to escape any physical abuse thus far thankfully. Although there have always been stories of my co-workers getting pushed, hit, wrestled to the ground, and spit on. Scary stuff like that can happen when you work in the ER.

I agree with you kty1. I think there needs to be more changes to ensure all of our safety.

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Or if your with a co-worker have them hold the person there while you use your rub your knuckle hard on their upper lip under their nose. Try it, it really hurts. The theory behind it is that it takes the feeling of control away from them which makes them more willing to listen when you tell them to let go. Does it actually work?

Under the nose on the upper lip there's a really nasty pressure point we used to teach people to use when restraining people during CQB training. Works really well. I had a 5'2" female use it to restrain a 6'6" male, she had him bent over and following her like a puppy, it was great. :D

On the ambulance I got blasted in the nose by an elderly male ( dementia) while trying to transfer him from his bed to the stretcher. So then I'm stuck trying to keep him from falling and trying to not bleed on him at the same time. He didn't know what he was doing though, so no harm no foul.

Then the 6yo that bit me, but she said it wasn't her fault because she said she was going to, and I didn't stop her.....kinda hard to argue with the logic. lol :D

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Specializes in Geriatrics, Dialysis.

Reading some of these truly awful experiences reminds me how scary/dangerous the job can be! I have been in LTC for 15 years and can't even begin to count the number of times I've been hit, pinched, bit, kicked, grabbed etc. Aggressive behavior from our dementia patients can unfortunately be a quite normal part of their disease process. We can report the behavior and request med adjustments, and in very rare extreme cases we will send the offending resident to a local psych unit where they can be treated with meds/restraints that are beyond a LTC facilities capabilities.

I have to say, with my somewhat morbid sense of humor sometimes it can be quite funny. It's kind of hard to keep a straight face when breaking up a fight between two 80+ year old men with walkers who can't quite reach each other because their walkers keep getting in the way, but they can sure reach you when you get between them! Maybe I'm a little jaded after so many years but I figure if I can't duck faster than an elderly dementia patient can swing I kind of deserved it.

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Specializes in ICU.
A co-worker told me that she once left a code because while she was doing chest compressions a relative of the patient grabbed her by her hair and yelled "Faster, b**ch!"
I would have to ask the polite family member to teach how it wouod be possible to do "faster, "faste chest crp,[poressopms if that's whare were wre ALREADY doihng!!!
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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.

I agree. the LOL's are the ones who really scare me. in the 5 1/2 months i have been an aide, i have been bitten, kicked, hit, had my butt grabbed by a fully competent male resident, and most recently almost had a chunk of my hair ripped out after trying to re-attach a personal alarm to a LOL. she flipped out and tried to bite me and she was twisting my hands and eventually grabbed my hair (which thankfully was in a ponytail) and yanked me to my knees. it took two nurses (one of which is a very large, strong male) and myself to get her to let go....

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I am a mental health tech, I work with nurses in mental health facility. I have been punched in the face, kicked, punched in the back of the head, and had shirt ripped off. The nurses get it worse. Not all mental health patients are mentally ill in a juvinile for profit facility. Insurance rah rah.

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Yep! Tried to grab at my butt.... I found it funny

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Specializes in Emergency.

It's been tried. My self preservation antennae is pretty well dialed in so i've seen it coming with enough time to avoid, evade or block.

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