yesterday while in clinical i was punched by one of my clients, he just wailed on me without any notice. Now my face looks like crap, a huge black eye and cheek on the one side, even the bridge of my nose is bruised.
This man wasn't little either he was compitent, this was all because he was mad that i wouldn't/couldn't give him a narcotic (I'm only a student) I ofered to get the nurse I was co-assigned with but then he got really angry and started pulling out his IV, i stepped closer to encourage him to stop and then he let me have it. I was so shoked, and seeing stars. my nose was gusshing blood and I could barely drag myself out of his room.
ALL that was done was that incident reports were made, no charges. My prof said we should contact the police as this is assult but the administration got all over our @$$es about then the school will not be aloud to return for clinicals for the rest of the semester. This would not only affect my education but about 2/3 of my class. My prof said it was up to me what i wanted to do, and i chose not to call the police because I wanna graduate, and not screw up my classmates year.
But the situation really pisses me off. I look like crap, it hurts and I had to have e-rays of my face to look for broken facial bones.
pictures!!!! pictures!!!pictures!!!! i can't stress that enough!!!!!! pictures tell a thousand tales, and with all your medical bills to substantiate it.....you have a class action lawsuit!!!!! i think you have up to two years to file it , but if i or anyone else were in your situation.....do it now!!!! the instructor needs her head examined......and get yourself a lawyer!!! don't go on what the hospital/snf or instructors say....or even concerned family /friends.....a personal injury lawyer will give you good sound advice for free (consultation).
don't worry about your other classmates.....they should understand....what if it had happened to them? would you want them to "just let it go? not to mention the long term effects that you might face years from now from the injury......
also they can't hold it against you to graduate from nursing...in fact you have clout if you feel you are being treated unfairly.........
by the way......i have been in your situation..........take care of yourself!!!!
and i wish you the best........never give up or give in.....compromise....... :wink2:
On 11/30/2004 a patient sexually assaulted me by putting his hand down the back of my pants while my back was turned. I was afraid also to report it to the police. On 12/1, I filed an incident report and spoke with the DON. She then proceded to tell me that I acted UNPROFESSIONAL by pushing the man off of me! Noneoftheless, I was alarmed at her reaction! On 12/2 I was thinking about pressing charges on this dirty old man and have some sort of vindication and validation! I spoke to another nurse and she told me that an aide was also assaulted by this same man! On 12/3, they fired me! On 12/4, I pressed charges on the Man! I am going to unemployment, I am seeking legal representation, I am seeking counseling for the assault, I am not going to be a victim any longer.
Please don't let them make you a victim. Your a liability for the hospital and your school now. They will try to find a way to rid of you anyway. Make a stand and don't take the abuse any further. Don't be a victim. Press assault charges on the bastard and get legal representation for how the hospital and your school reacted to your situation. The hospital has a contract with the school for services. Don't let them fool you. It's all about money! You have a civil suit.
Jrussole- What were the grounds for you being fired? I'm sorry any of you had to go through such terrible things.
I am sorry to hear this too and wish you the best in your lawsuit...altho I know you cannot discuss it here. Best wishes ..and good for you for not just rolling over and taking it.
I know too well what healthcare facilities can do to nurses who they deem 'undesireable' or troublemakers and hope things go well for you. :)
Thing is I am really emotional hurt by all of this. I have found myself being a recluse the past week. I believe I have too much time on my hands this week. So I have been making appointments for interviews, etc. Getting my paperwork together for the return to the old stomping ground of my ICU position in the hospital. I have been trying to keep my thoughts together. My brother is a lawyer and states that this is a civil suit. I will feel better with the knowledge that the dirty old man is either put in prison or a lock down facility so that no one else becomes a victim. Psychosis or not, no one is ever going to get away with touching me without my consent. I have a heart of gold but I am no dummy! The homecare agency may think of me as a troublemaker NOW!
I shall perservere. I am a strong person who won't lye down and cry myself to sleep over this. I am in the flight or fight response and I believe I am winning!
I look forward to the day to perform my nursing talents again. Saving a life, holding a hand, struggling with burn care because I am able to withstand much and have endured a great deal in my profession. Nursing isn't an easy path, but it is a definately a rewarding one.
For that poor girl that was assaulted by that patient. Don't be afraid, fight for justice. We need you.
Thought for Today
"You have not lived a perfect day, even though you have earned your money, unless you have done something for someone who will never be able to repay you."
yesterday while in clinical i was punched by one of my clients, he just wailed on me without any notice. Now my face looks like crap, a huge black eye and cheek on the one side, even the bridge of my nose is bruised.
This man wasn't little either he was compitent, this was all because he was mad that i wouldn't/couldn't give him a narcotic (I'm only a student) I ofered to get the nurse I was co-assigned with but then he got really angry and started pulling out his IV, i stepped closer to encourage him to stop and then he let me have it. I was so shoked, and seeing stars. my nose was gusshing blood and I could barely drag myself out of his room.
ALL that was done was that incident reports were made, no charges. My prof said we should contact the police as this is assult but the administration got all over our @$$es about then the school will not be aloud to return for clinicals for the rest of the semester. This would not only affect my education but about 2/3 of my class. My prof said it was up to me what i wanted to do, and i chose not to call the police because I wanna graduate, and not screw up my classmates year.
But the situation really pisses me off. I look like crap, it hurts and I had to have e-rays of my face to look for broken facial bones.
Thanx for letting me rant
You have a right to as healthy and safe work environment as possible. What you experienced is called Workplace Violence. In the United States, it is covered under the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) general duty clause. OSHA investigates workplace complaints and acts as an enforcer of occupational safety and health. You should have something similar in your country. I pulled up the Canadian Centre for Occupational Safety and Health on the website. You may want to check with them. I am not familiar with hospital safety in Canada, but I know there are Occupational Health Nurses or Employee Health Nurses specialities there-you can check with them on where to go. They would be a great resourcer. This is also a workers compensation case that needs to be reported. Some educational resources are the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), OSHA and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). They are all on the web. Good luck to you.
Thanks for the info. Still Riding is a nursing student. How will or would this apply to her? It wouldn't be a workman's compensation case if she is a nursing student.
To All:
If that would have happened to me during nursing school, I know that the school would have found a way of getting rid of me fast. Calling me a troublemaker or whistle blower, etc for wanting justice. No one, no matter where you work or who you work with should ever be allowed to touch you in any manner shape or form! Back in my years of college, if you didn't fit the Florence Nightengale "look and persona" you didn't get to the next semester. Things may or maynot have changed since I went to nursing school. But there was quite a bit of discrimination when and where I went. If you weren't white, pretty and in shape they found a way to rid themselves of you at my school. My Nursing School Administrative Staff had a problem with me because I was a military wife. I waited 2 years before being accepted into the Nursing Program. So, as a nurse I have found discrimination right from the get go in Nursing. They looked at me as a person who would eventually leave the state and not be beneficial to their states nursing shortage! Even though my husband was stationed and fighting in the Persian Gulf for them! There was a war before the war, you know.
Just because we are nurses are we to subject ourselves over and over again to violence, discrimination and be victimized by society and our employers? No wonder there is a nursing shortage. If I were to do it all over again, I don't think I would have went into nursing, honestly. I would have gone into Law! I have seen so much over the years in my profession. I don't recommend a nursing career to anyone that I may meet. Things have to change in this profession before I recommend anyone into it. My profession it isn't about caring any longer. It's about getting the job done in the fastest possible manner with little or no time for actual wholistic nursing. Nurses who cut corners or are apathetic in the workplace usually are the ones that prosper. Ok, I must be getting narcissitic or something here. Maybe it is because after 20 years of nursing, being sexually assaulted by a patient, fired from my job because of it, being called Unprofessional, etc may have something for me to complain about here!
To the nursing student..........
You appear to be a person of intelligence and good nature. Go into law and change the way Nurses are treated in the workplace. We aren't mules. I believe anyone who works on a medical/surgical unit may from time to time believe they are treated as "simple" nursing mules. I worked ICU after medical/surg. I increased my knowledge base and skills to avoid feeling like a mule. I went into homecare for flexibility around raising children, while continuing to work per diem in the ICU (to keep my skills up and the money was better). To tell you the truth, their wasn't much flexibility in homecare. Atleast where I had worked. They had our nurses work 7 straight days when scheduled for weekends. No overtime pay involved. They told us that the nurses who worked the weekend before have first dibbs on days off that particular week. Sure comp days came that Monday and Tuesday following a seven day work week. Or you could get paid and continue to mule for the week. Not much of a choice if you ask me. So the hardworking nurses would work straight thru or take their comp days when scheduled the next following week. Now how efficient would you be as a mule working 7 seven straight days? How apathetic would you be when a patient needs some extra time and tlc? After seven straight days, I just looked forward to finishing the tasks at hand and going home to my family who missed me. To tell you the truth. I was always Professional. And I resent the fact that after being sexually assaulted by a patient, that the DON and Supervisor weren't supportive. And the fact that they must not have trusted my complaints by sending a poor uneducated HHA in the next morning to verify that this said patient was "handy with his hands"!!!!!! I was a liability that needed extinction as far as they were concerned. So, I am back in a formal nursing environment, in the ICU. And more than Happy to be there. It just took a phone call. In homecare, I have seen nurses going out on Call all hours of the night. Without proper directions to very ill patients who probably should not have been discharged from the hospitals to begin with. For many years, I just went with the flow of it all. Now that I am older, finanically secure and have a stable homelife, with husband and children in tow, nursing is secondary in my life. My family and well being come first. And if given the opportunity, I would go back to college and begin Law School and fight more diligently for Nurses. Now, any of you are entitled to not agree with the aforementioned. All I ask of you who don't agree with me is to work one day on a medical surgical unit. Maybe say, on a Monday. Then you can come back to me and disagree. But I doubt you will. Just call up your local staffing agency, sign up and go to work probably the next day once you mention the fact that you are willing to work med/surg. Once you have 10 patients during a day shift to take care of, no aide or maybe sharing one aide between 3 nurses, 3 discharges and 2 admissions than come and lets talk.
Nursing student:
If you really want to continue nursing school after they treated you in this manner, all I can say is find another school. Go straight thru to the highest level of nursing you can afford. Professional speaking, your PhD and or MSN atleast. Or you may feel like me in 20 years of being the mule.
May the roads rise to meet you. May the wind be at your back. May the sun shine warm upon your face, The rain fall soft upon your fields, and until we meet again, May God hold you in the palm of His hand.
Thanks for the info. Still Riding is a nursing student. How will or would this apply to her? It wouldn't be a workman's compensation case if she is a nursing student.
To All:
If that would have happened to me during nursing school, I know that the school would have found a way of getting rid of me fast. Calling me a troublemaker or whistle blower, etc for wanting justice. No one, no matter where you work or who you work with should ever be allowed to touch you in any manner shape or form! Back in my years of college, if you didn't fit the Florence Nightengale "look and persona" you didn't get to the next semester. Things may or maynot have changed since I went to nursing school. But there was quite a bit of discrimination when and where I went. If you weren't white, pretty and in shape they found a way to rid themselves of you at my school. My Nursing School Administrative Staff had a problem with me because I was a military wife. I waited 2 years before being accepted into the Nursing Program. So, as a nurse I have found discrimination right from the get go in Nursing. They looked at me as a person who would eventually leave the state and not be beneficial to their states nursing shortage! Even though my husband was stationed and fighting in the Persian Gulf for them! There was a war before the war, you know.
Just because we are nurses are we to subject ourselves over and over again to violence, discrimination and be victimized by society and our employers? No wonder there is a nursing shortage. If I were to do it all over again, I don't think I would have went into nursing, honestly. I would have gone into Law! I have seen so much over the years in my profession. I don't recommend a nursing career to anyone that I may meet. Things have to change in this profession before I recommend anyone into it. My profession it isn't about caring any longer. It's about getting the job done in the fastest possible manner with little or no time for actual wholistic nursing. Nurses who cut corners or are apathetic in the workplace usually are the ones that prosper. Ok, I must be getting narcissitic or something here. Maybe it is because after 20 years of nursing, being sexually assaulted by a patient, fired from my job because of it, being called Unprofessional, etc may have something for me to complain about here!
To the nursing student..........
You appear to be a person of intelligence and good nature. Go into law and change the way Nurses are treated in the workplace. We aren't mules. I believe anyone who works on a medical/surgical unit may from time to time believe they are treated as "simple" nursing mules. I worked ICU after medical/surg. I increased my knowledge base and skills to avoid feeling like a mule. I went into homecare for flexibility around raising children, while continuing to work per diem in the ICU (to keep my skills up and the money was better). To tell you the truth, their wasn't much flexibility in homecare. Atleast where I had worked. They had our nurses work 7 straight days when scheduled for weekends. No overtime pay involved. They told us that the nurses who worked the weekend before have first dibbs on days off that particular week. Sure comp days came that Monday and Tuesday following a seven day work week. Or you could get paid and continue to mule for the week. Not much of a choice if you ask me. So the hardworking nurses would work straight thru or take their comp days when scheduled the next following week. Now how efficient would you be as a mule working 7 seven straight days? How apathetic would you be when a patient needs some extra time and tlc? After seven straight days, I just looked forward to finishing the tasks at hand and going home to my family who missed me. To tell you the truth. I was always Professional. And I resent the fact that after being sexually assaulted by a patient, that the DON and Supervisor weren't supportive. And the fact that they must not have trusted my complaints by sending a poor uneducated HHA in the next morning to verify that this said patient was "handy with his hands"!!!!!! I was a liability that needed extinction as far as they were concerned. So, I am back in a formal nursing environment, in the ICU. And more than Happy to be there. It just took a phone call. In homecare, I have seen nurses going out on Call all hours of the night. Without proper directions to very ill patients who probably should not have been discharged from the hospitals to begin with. For many years, I just went with the flow of it all. Now that I am older, finanically secure and have a stable homelife, with husband and children in tow, nursing is secondary in my life. My family and well being come first. And if given the opportunity, I would go back to college and begin Law School and fight more diligently for Nurses. Now, any of you are entitled to not agree with the aforementioned. All I ask of you who don't agree with me is to work one day on a medical surgical unit. Maybe say, on a Monday. Then you can come back to me and disagree. But I doubt you will. Just call up your local staffing agency, sign up and go to work probably the next day once you mention the fact that you are willing to work med/surg. Once you have 10 patients during a day shift to take care of, no aide or maybe sharing one aide between 3 nurses, 3 discharges and 2 admissions than come and lets talk.
Nursing student:
If you really want to continue nursing school after they treated you in this manner, all I can say is find another school. Go straight thru to the highest level of nursing you can afford. Professional speaking, your PhD and or MSN atleast. Or you may feel like me in 20 years of being the mule.
May the roads rise to meet you. May the wind be at your back. May the sun shine warm upon your face, The rain fall soft upon your fields, and until we meet again, May God hold you in the palm of His hand.
Thank you jrussole for correcting my error. Since Still Riding is not employed by the hospital or the school, Still Riding cannot get workers' compensation against either party.
Oh dear - I've just read of jrussole's feeling like being treated as a mule. I worked in nursing for about 18 years and never felt like a mule, and I was never treated like a mule. I worked in various settings.
I cannot believe that! (well...actually, I can....)
Was this at a hospital or a nursing home? If this patient was, as you said, "competent", then you can files charges against HIM, not the facility. I would look into that if Iwere you. Call your local city's Legal Aide office or a lawyer you trust (!) and ask for advice. I certainly would not just "let it go". You have a right to be protected from injury and bodily harm when you are at the facility. Also it is possible your school would have to kick in for your bills, etc., because they also have a duty to keep you, a student, safe. DO NOT let the "powers that be" tell you that this will keep you or any of your fellow students from graduating, etc. OFTEN those statements are made to intimidate a person and keep him/her from pressing charges.
Make sure you get those X-rays, etc, to see that you are not permanently hurt. And KEEP the bills that you run up - even for OTC pain meds, etc., in case you do end up filing charges.
Like I said - YOU DESERVE TO BE SAFE. Even if this patient was NOT "competent", the facility must protect you. If they had knowledge the patient could be (shall we say) "feisty", they had a duty to TELL you this so you could be adequately prepared.
Let me know what happens.
Go immediately to the police,. File charges, MAKE that facility own up to backing you and your fellow students. This is assault. It is against the law. Please do so and always protect yourself. The law applies to everybody. Please let me hear from you.
I had my first patient-inflicted injury today after 2.5 years as an RN - confused old guy kicked my aide in the shoulder and head and then kneed me in the mouth. Touch of a split, swollen lip. We were trying to hold him down and see if he'd pulled out his t-tube (thank god they stitch those things in!). I've never given anyone so much Haldol - a total of something like 50 mg over 2 hrs (and this was BEFORE he kicked us!).
He's septic and ICU-psychotic, so I'd never press charges, but boy do these incidents make you feel vulnerable. I knew he was paranoid and pissed off but I really didn't see it coming. Live and learn, I guess.
kitty2u2
4 Posts
pictures!!!! pictures!!!pictures!!!! i can't stress that enough!!!!!! pictures tell a thousand tales, and with all your medical bills to substantiate it.....you have a class action lawsuit!!!!! i think you have up to two years to file it , but if i or anyone else were in your situation.....do it now!!!! the instructor needs her head examined......and get yourself a lawyer!!! don't go on what the hospital/snf or instructors say....or even concerned family /friends.....a personal injury lawyer will give you good sound advice for free (consultation).
don't worry about your other classmates.....they should understand....what if it had happened to them? would you want them to "just let it go? not to mention the long term effects that you might face years from now from the injury......
also they can't hold it against you to graduate from nursing...in fact you have clout if you feel you are being treated unfairly.........
by the way......i have been in your situation..........take care of yourself!!!!
and i wish you the best........never give up or give in.....compromise....... :wink2: