Have you been assulted as a nurse?

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Specializes in Corrections, Cardiac, Hospice.

Building on the news article of nurses who work in ER being assulted, I am curious as to the number of nurses assulted that work throughout acute, long-term and other settings. I don't know how to do polls, but would appreciate someone making a bar thing for me. But I would like additional information. Who assulted you? Was it the patient or family member? Did you see it coming? What area of nursing do you work in?

I would say yes, I have been scratched (still have a scar), bit, punched, kicked at and threatened. Also had a family member threaten me once or twice. Actually, I would say the safest I ever felt as a nurse was when I worked in corrections. Always had a burly deputy with me when I was with a patient.

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Home Health.

Yes, I have been assaulted. One lady spit on me, stomped my feet and pinched me. Another patient punched me with all his strength in my belly. And both incidents involved patients who were confused, but it hurt, especially the punch. It also hurt my feelings.

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Specializes in ER.

Nurses that haven't been assaulted would be more out of the ordinary.

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I've been assaulted more times than I can remember. I do have one rule now, if the person doing the assaulting is AAO and being a pain...I WILL file charges on them. Getting too old for this foolishness.

I work in ICU. I've been kicked, scratched, pinched, grabbed, threatened and kicked. Still have scars from a couple of 'em. 9x out of 10 it's been confused patients.

Have had a few family members be threatening. Kinda scary considering the world we live in now.

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Specializes in Trauma ICU, Peds ICU.

I was assaulted many times when I was an EMT including once with a knife and once with a gun.

It's only happened once in nursing, as a student, in inpatient mental health.

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Specializes in all areas.

It would be easier to ask who has not been assaulted.:smiley_ab If you are a nurse and have not been assaulted please let me know where you work so I can apply for a job. :roll

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Specializes in all things maternity.

I was assauted a few times when I worked in a LTCF a long time ago. Punches, scratches, had a disoriented pt pull a knife on me once. Those were the days :D I really liked the LTCF that I worked in. It was great.

Since switching to hospital nursing, I have had more verbal attacks than I can count.....patients, their families, doctors, etc, I have recieved a few threats of bodily harm or ruining my career. Most of this stuff is from working a med surg floor. Its amazing that I am still tolerating this crap. I just keep thinking of retirement, Everyday is a day closer.

:onbch:

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Other than the usual in LTC, have been assaulted in home health by a man in the patient's home. Also, have been assaulted by the individual stalking me. In both cases, the employer at the time did nothing, absolutely nothing, to help me.

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Specializes in Management, Emergency, Psych, Med Surg.

Yes and threatened with assault multiple times.

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I have been assulted, verbally many times, but only once physically. I was drawing labs and the guy punched me in the face as soon as I got my flash. this was on a med-surge floor. Incident report filed, charge nurse notified, and bruises healed.

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Specializes in Geriatrics.

I'm a CNA in LTC and am assaulted at least once/week. Sometimes it's physcial, sometimes it's verbal.

One of the Alzheimers patients attacked me so badly it looked like Freddy Krueger had gotten ahold of me. Nothing was done because "she didn't know what she was doing". I don't think it should matter. I shouldn't have to just take it when someone gropes me, punches me, scratches me, bites me, etc.

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That reminds me of a confused patient who sent 3 staff to employee health in one day alone (2 additional staff were minorly injured and refused to go), and management still refused to OK restraints.

And to the OP, yes, I've been pushed, hit, scratched deep enough to bleed, one patient squeezed and twisted my hand and wouldn't let go, and I've been threatened by patients and a family. I haven't been sexually assaulted but I have witnessed a patient groping a nurse. All of the above were by confused patients, except for the threatening, which was by a&o patients, and also an a&o middle aged family member who was intent to beat anyone who came in the room with their parent's cane. I also agree that its harder to find nurses who haven't been assaulted than those who have.

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