Legal rights of hospital staff against patients

[Cute_CNA, CNA]

I was wondering: what rights do staff have when it comes to sexual harassment? If a nurse is being sexually harassed by a patient, what can be done?

I don't mean, just avoid the patient.

[Thunderwolf, MSN, RN]

As your first step, I would report it to your supervisor and to risk management.

[Tweety, BSN, RN]

You have a right not to be sexually harrassed by anyone, anytime. I would do as Wolfie suggested and first contact management.

Unfortunately, it's rare that patients are proscecuted for anything they do to nurses. It's abuse IMO.

[Jolie, BSN]

You have a right not to be sexually harrassed by anyone, anytime. I would do as Wolfie suggested and first contact management.

Unfortunately, it's rare that patients are proscecuted for anything they do to nurses. It's abuse IMO.

You are right, it is virtually un-heard of for a patient to be prosecuted for mis-treating a healthcare worker. But your employer can land in deep doo doo for failing to address the situation on your behalf. If you have notified your supervisor of the situation, s/he is obligated to take steps to correct it, such as providing you with an escort when you provide care to the patient. Failure to do so makes your employer complicit in the abuse.

[Cute_CNA, CNA]

Well, this has happened to me since I've worked at the hospital. In my opinion, they don't give enough training to deflect this kind of nonsense. And here's the rub: they're psychiatric patients. So they get redirected. But somehow, it seems as if it's pardoned b/c they're psychiatric patients, and they don't get any kind of lasting punishment, like loss of privilages. It ticks me off.

I think the hospital doesn't like to inform us of our rights for fear of us abusing them. But it's not exactly fair to be leaving us in the dark about it.

That's a bureaucracy for ya. Always CYA, who cares about the employee.