New nurse here...slapped today by patient.

[Bonny619]

So...I'm a new RN, still in orientation mode. I was starting an IV on a patient, my primary nurse was present as well as a student we had with us. The patient's husband was also present.

I started the IV, I was getting ready to place the tegaderm on and BAM.

She slapped me straight across the face...pretty hard too. No mark, but it stung. I just left the room immediately, that was my first instinct. My primary nurse was dealing with the patient.

Anyway, the patient was an older lady....77, but she was A/O x3. NOT a confused patient, she later said she thought we were just "playing with her" I'm assuming she thought this because the student was watching? I don't know. She knew we needed to start a new IV, her IV infiltrated.

So, my question is this....at what point does a nurse actually look at a situation as being assaulted. If this lady slapped me across the face in the middle of the grocery store, I would have called the police.

What is that fine line? What if she bruised my face? Is that different?

Any advice is appreciated.

[frantic one]

I've had similar experiences re: fingernails.

A patient (male) on Med-Surg took the same approach to "digging his nurse". That was over 10 years ago and I still have the scars to show. Nursing supervisor just told me to go to ED for exam. No other response to patient's behavior.

BTW, he was A+O X 4, and had not been aggressive before this. No medical, metabolic or chemical problem that would have caused this. Oh, and he was looking at me square in the face as he increased the pressure.

I've been in homes where safety of staff has been compromised because of patients and families having access to guns (gang areas in Los Angeles), been told that if I was a male RN I would not be safe in neighborhoods (racial hatred), "escorted by gang members to ensure my safety so I could care for their family", and during the LA riots told that certain areas of coverage had been "red-lined" for our safety.

My husband has been punched by a patient, had his mustache pulled by an otherwise nice little old lady that the family thought had stopped breathing (good news: she is awake and breathing. Bad news: she inflicts high levels of pain on personnel), had a gun drawn on him (why would someone bring a gun to PT?), and the usual aggressive/abusive family and doctors.

What in the world kind of occupation is healthcare? They didn't tell me about this in school. Other occupations have a certain level of risk involved, and you know and train for it going in. Somehow the nursing cape isn't an adequate defense for this kind of thing (maybe they should be part of the uniform, again. Imbued with protective powers).

[Fiona59]

.

As for management, well the same holds true. I remember a story that I was told about a Nurse Manager who routinely blamed the staff each time they were assaulted. Her favourite question was, "What was your approach?" Well one day a group of nurses finally stuck up for themselves and confronted her with it by saying "show us how it's done then." This Nurse Manager was obviously backed into a corner and she went into a resident's room who had a long history of physical aggression. The next thing the nursing staff knew was, as the nurse manager leaned towards the resident, the resident punched the nurse manager right across the face. You guessed it, these nurses saw it happen and imediately questioned the nurse manager by asking "What was your approach?" That Nurse Manager never blamed another frontline staff member again for being a recipient of abuse.

I think I worked for her evil twin sister a few years back.

[ExPharmaGirl, BSN, RN]

I thought it wasn't battery if it were open handed?? I think it had to be closed handed to be assault.

I'd probably be furious but since she's older I'd probably let it go...that is just me. Now if I thought she was an evil witch...then we might be talking charges. But the lady might still be a little demented??

Assault is the threat and battery is the act

[DirtyBlackSocks]

Did this behavior continue after that single incident?

I don't know about pressing charges, if it was a single incident - definitely file a report in it so other nurses are aware that the PT is combative.

There is also the need to realize that people in hospitals are extremely stressed out, and while the behavior is not excusable, taking it to the next level is a moral decision that only the person who was victim can make.

If it were me personally - I would just file a report on it internally and go on about my business. If the behavior continued - I would escalate it to a police level.

You stated yourself that the slap did not leave any sort of mark, no harm done besides the demoralizing side of being treated in that manner.

[Kashia, ASN, LVN]

Sorry that happened to you as a new nurse especially. But get ready!! It could be worse like flinging stool!

I also would question assessment A/O x 3.....there could be underlying medical or mental situations going on.

One that comes quickly is Alzheimers.

So I know it is popular today to prosecute and criminalize people for their actions but I do not see this is advancing

our civilization any.

I tend to always want to understand what is going on. And in her case, maybe check for medical hx or/and mention

to her primary doctor. It could help.