Meltdown at work, does TPAPN need to know?

[N377311]

So today I had me a not so pretty panic attack at work....I had a patient cuss me out for doing nothing more than trying to check on him because I was concerned about him having low blood sugar. It was not my first rodeo with this patient. He has been very abusive to all of his female nurses and I realize now I should have refused his assignment after the first time he did last week this, but I thought I could rise above and ignore the behavior and “be a team player” and “just take it” and “suck it up”

I did not respond back in an unprofessional manner to the patient I just informed him that I would not allow him to speak to me that way and would no longer be caring for him.

This of course had to be explained to my managers and while trying to explain the situation I fell apart. Meaning I started the ugly cry ... not because I was offended or believed that I was the “worthless mother ***er” as he called me but because I felt violated. I felt like I had been attacked and had no way to defend myself. And I was angry.

I hate hate hate what this crazy persons behavior triggered in me. That something that I try to keep hidden from the world (anxiety) had to tear its ugly face .. at work !!

And not only am I trying to deal with having to handle an abusive patient but I also have to fear what my managers might report to TPAPN. I feel like I don’t have a right to stand up for myself because of this cloud I carry with me as the “disgraced TPAPN nurse” ...

anyways... I remained as professional as I possibly could (while ugly crying) having to retell the situation to 2 different managers.

I’m embarrassed. I’m angry. But I’m also scared. I have played by every damn rule laid before me by the almighty TPAPN (and my end date is Jan 14th) but do I now have to worry that what happened today might also mean I have to report this and explain and relive what happened today to TPAPN??

[SpankedInPittsburgh, DNP, RN]

I’m not sure what they would report and even if they did what would that prove? You got emotional at work because some slob abused you. You are far from the first nurse this has (and will have ) happened to. Many nurses are abused and nobody should have to put up with that. It surely doesn’t indicate substance abuse nor a mental heath problem. You aren’t a disgraced anything. Rather you are simply another nurse who was abused by an idiot. Hold your head high. Nurses and the board should stand up for you instead of trying to punish you

[Uncle-JoJo]

Unless you're not including something significant, I can't see why anyone would report you to TPAPN.

[KyBeagle, ASN]

If you handled it as exactly as you reported above, and there was another nurse available to which the patient could be reassigned, I see no reason why this would be reported to TPAPN.

[catsmeow1972, BSN, RN]

I had almost exactly the same situation, anxiety attack over a jerk patient that got nasty with me, had a history of being nasty (we’re talking throwing his water pitcher at the nurse for not being ‘quick enough’ to refill it.) with me, he pulled the grunt and point at his arm, even though he could speak just fine. I quite politely told him that I could not help him if he would not tell me what the matter was and that if he continued this behavior, I was going to step out and would be back when he decided to act better. (I thought maybe the issue was his IV hurting from the vancomycin he was getting so I turned it off before I left the room.) About5 minutes later, I get called to the phone and it’s the patient’s wife or sister or something, screaming at me ‘’I’m gonna come down there and make you people take care of him.” There were other threats too. I maintained my cool until I hung up and then I lost it. Into the office with the ugly crying and all. However when the charge nurse told me “that’s part of nursing and you’re just going to have to learn to take it.” That snapped me out of my ugly cry and I just had no words.

The point is, (in both situations) the patients safety was NOT compromised, this was a known issue with this patient and NO, we are not required to take this kind of abuse. I left that unit soon afterwords and went back to where I am happy....OR.

Having to tolerate such abuse from both patients and other nurses is one of the reasons I admire anyone who can work the floor. It ain’t as easy as people think.

I too had concerns of this being reported to my program but like it was said above...known problem patient who was being abusive. Getting upset is not indicative of anything that is any business of the program.
Also, you not a ‘disgraced’ anything. If anyone is a disgrace, it’s the patient who treats their caregivers in a way that sets off an anxiety attack.

[HandsOffMySteth]

You're a human being and allowed to react as such. Sometimes it is very difficult to respond to others with kindness when we are treated badly. There is nothing wrong with feeling angry or overwhelmed, but we must step back and not overreact.

My concern for you is if this episode was triggered by some other non-related stress. It might do you some good to talk to a counsellor. It certainly helped me out.