Nurse manhandled by doctor

[Scrubby]

Hey guys remember how I was dreading coming to work on Monday? I'm starting to wish I'd called in! Sorry this is a long post!

I've seen doctors verbally abuse nurses, seen them throw tantrums and swear at everyone. Have never seen anyone get physical on a nurse until today.

Well today I could not believe the disgusting behaviour of one doctor.

We had patient who had surgery with a very difficult airway who haemorrhaged. It was awful, patient thrashing around, only two of us nurses and a nursing student who were trying to keep him from falling out of the bed. Nurse rushing around trying to bet airway stuff etc. Patient lost control of bowels, bladder very messy, situation. Then it got worse.

The other nurse was next to the doctor trying to staunch bleeding from wound and keep patients arms from thrashing. I was at the end of the bed trying to manage the legs, nursing student next to me. Both of us saw to the whole thing.

The doctor just lost the plot completely. He manhandled the nurse (dare I say assault!), grabbed her right arm and started yanking it towards him (we have no idea what he actually wanted from her something to do with airway assistance probably, no verbal communication here) in a violent manner. He nearly had her off her feet, really pulling her in towards in hard by her wrist with both his arms. It's had to describe this but his whole body was sort of involved with yanking her towards him . The look on his face was pretty scarey, nursing student said he looked as though 'he wanted to eat her alive', I 100% believe the man just lost his temper completely and took it out on her because he looked so incredibly angry.

The nurse (victim) handled it well at the time, didn't yell at him (I probably would have) but when the crisis was over she was really in a state. Could not stand, had to sit with her head down. She had to go home early which I encouraged her to do.

I told her I witnessed the entire incident, that whatever she wanted to do about it I will verify because I saw the whole thing. She reported it to our CNC. CNC's response to this abuse was pretty much 'heat of the moment', 'patient comes first'. You need to speak with the doctor about it yourself'.'Just monitor your wrist and if it's injured we'll take it up further. No mention of incident reports, documenting this assault.

Ok so it was a crisis. THERE IS NO EXCUSE FOR PHYSICAL INTIMIDATION! How on earth are we to focus appropriately in this situation if doctors are going to manhandle us, potentially cause us injury and give us all post traumatic stress disorder? How is this good for the patient?I was so angry all day I too left early to see a staff counsellor because I could just not cope with any more crap today at work. I needed to let it all out instead of taking it home and having my workplace problems affect my relationship like it's been doing of late.

Before I left I filed a report on the whole thing. Instead of an incident report I filled out a risk register report. The reason being is that our CNC deals with all the incident reports and I don't want anyone no matter what their status handling this if they think 'it's ok, heat of the moment'. I strongly believe his behavior put every nurse in that room at risk because he was just out of control and it put the patient at risk because we weren't fully focused on the patient.

If this doctor had of apologised afterwards it wouldn't have changed me reporting him, but it would have made a huge difference to how we all felt the rest of the day.

And what a great experience for the poor nursing student. Afterwards she asked me is this is acceptable and everyday practice!

Anyway feel better now for a vent. Anyone else have some similar experiences out there?

[CountyRat]

scrubby, you wrote, "i wish it were that simple. unfortunately i have the feeling he'll get away with no more than an insincere apology." so what? why should that change what you do? yes, the hospital will probably try to sweep it under the rug. that does not make you powerless! get mad damn it! do you have a brother, or a father, or a boy friend, or any sympathetic male in your life? talk to them about this, and watch how mad they get. let them be your role models. i am not joking (there is nothing funny about any of this) i really mean this.

scrubby, you also wrote, "last night i got no sleep at all. i just keep thinking of what happened and the look on that mans face. i'm not at work today, yes i called in sick right now i'm in no fit state to care for anyone." and, "i'm still pretty upset about the whole thing and can't let it go. i feel such guilt because it happened right in front of me and i was just powerless to do anything to help her! i wanted to scream at him that what he did was wrong, to get his filthy hands off her." of course you feel that way, scrubby. that is how everyone feels when confronted by this kind of individual. now read this next sentence carefully, because it is very important: the bastard who attacked your co-worker did it in order to make her, and you, and the other woman in the room feel powerless, afraid, and guilty. that’s how he gets away with it. he scares and humiliates women (and probably others that he regards as inferiors) so that they feel helpless, and he can go go whistling on his merry way unscathed. fear is the reason that you called in sick today, and what you called guilt is the humiliation that he inflicted on you. he does this on purpose, scrubby. he will keep on doing it because he likes it. he isn’t staying home today; he feels great.

scrubby, please hear me out. i know this is real hard, and you are really hurting bad now. i understand that you feel like there is nothing that you can do. that no one will be on your side. no one will believe you. that it is somehow your fault, and if you tell others, they will be angry with you, or worse. those are the things that you were feeling when you wrote; “i feel such guilt because it happened right in front of me and i was just powerless to do anything to help her!” isn’t it? its o.k. that you feel that way, scrubby. that is how we all feel when we have been through what you have. but it is not o.k. for you to keep on feeling that way from now on, or for you to have to go find another job because of this worthless person. (i refuse to call him a man, he may be human, technically, but he is no man.)

scrubby, i believe you, and i am angry. and if i believe you, and feel protective of you, then there are other people who will believe you and protect you too. you feel powerless, i know, but you are not powerless. you are the victim of a creature who is an expert at making women feel powerless so that he never has to be accountable for his crimes. please go to the police, scrubby, and tell them what happened. if they can’t do anything, so what? you did your best. it may still help you feel better. talk to your co-worker who was attacked. she feels as naked and vulnerable as you do, and she is also trying to keep it all inside. she needs to know that you believe her, and that you are on her side. please talk to her. and, if you are afraid to talk about this, that is o.k. talk to a psychologist. he or she can provide you a safe place in which to deal with this, which might prevent this from turning into a long-term agony for you.

there is only one way to escape from that feeling of powerlessness, and that is to exercise power. and there is only one way to overcome fear, and that is to do what is right even though you are afraid. i wish there was an easier way, but there isn't.

oh, and one other thing, if you decide not to take my advice, know that i love you, and its o.k., and i am on you side whatever you decide. and yes, i really mean it.

[lunden]

that's crazy!!! who the ---- does he think he is!!!! probably does his wife like that, he is crazy. i would be bringing assault charges immediately and shame on the company for trying to sweep it under the rug:madface: hope the poor nurse is ok

[Jolie, BSN]

One important avenue I've not yet seen suggested is a report to the State Board of Medicine.

This person's actions not only constitute assault and battery upon the nurse (which warrants criminal, civil and disciplinary actions), they also constitute abandonment of patient care duties. After all, how could he possibly have been attending to a critically ill and unstable patient while he was beating on a nurse? I believe it is reasonable for the nurse to pursue a restraining order against the physician.

He needs to be reported to the BOM, in addition to local law enforcement, hospital administration, risk management and the nurse's personal attorney.

[CountyRat]

i think management would twist this idea up and call it pt abandonment. bastards. although this idea sounds good in theory, its obvious who the nurse manager is working for.not her / his nurses.

It is not patient abandonment. The doctor was still in the room. As long as a qualified person is with the patient, there is no abandonment, so put that concern out of your mind. Its bunk.

It does not only sound good in theory. It is good. Get a lawyer, Scrubby. Let an expert in the law decide what is or isn't "Patient abandonment," or what can or cannot be done to protect you from future attacks. Most lawyers do not charge for an initial consultation, and they are forbidden to reveal what you tell them.

There are a hundred reasons to do nothing. There is only one reason to act: because action is what will get you through this. Wishing it didn't happen, and doing nothing will leave you feeling helpless, afraid, and guilty. Do not let him do that to you, Scrubby. You can do this, Scrubby. You can do this.

[CountyRat]

"I believe it is reasonable for the nurse to pursue a restraining order against the physician."

"He needs to be reported to the BOM, in addition to local law enforcement, hospital administration, risk management and the nurse's personal attorney."

YES!!!

Scrubby, I told you that others would believe you, and be on your side. Jolie's post proves that I was right. You are not alone in this. As hard as the next step may be, you will not be alone.

[Ruby Vee, BSN]

i hope you kept a copy of the report you filed -- sometimes those reports will "disappear." and then either call the police or get the victim to call the police. was this a teaching hospital? talk to the physician's boss, whoever that is. perhaps the medical director of your unit. if he's in private practice, talk to the senior partner of his practice. talk to human resources about the unsafe work environment. don't let this pass.

[NYCRN16]

Talk about LAWSUIT!!!! I would be suing that doctor so fast he wouldn't know what hit him AND I would insist that this doctor loses his privleges ASAP or the hospital will also be sued. Let him be the example that physician abuse is NOT TOLERATED!!

[MaryPush]

Make sure the nurse files a WC claim and gets to a PCP to document the injury. No matter how small, nothing gets response faster than an organization having to put out money for injuries sustained on the job.

Consider suggesting to the victim to check with Human Resources. In some cases, to file a claim, you have to go to a certain doctor (HR should have a list). She can probably get follow up tx (if necessary) by the provider of her choice, just make sure she checks it out.

Regards,

Mary

[Blove86]

Thats crazy, I can't what I would. Although from a guy's perspective, I have to agree with Country Rat. I'm sure it had something to do with proving who has the power. If the other nurse was a medium built male, the most he would have got was a verbal assault not a full out grab!! I say call somebody and fast no sense in letting the dust settle, stir it up!!!

[TakeTwoAspirin, MSN, RN, APRN]

I wish I could make excuses for this behavior, but as someone who has spent years in the OR and been subject to this kind of abuse myself, I can only empathize with you all.

Unfortunately, this kind of behavior goes on all too often. By trying to pass it off as "heat of the moment emotion" the hospital/facility is actually condoning the behavior. It is a systemic problem with the facility. If I had to guess I would say that this Doc brings in a lot of money to the facility, and they are willing to overlook his transgressions because of this.

This leaves the staff in the unfortunate position of either putting up with this or leaving. Personally, I choose to leave which meant paying my way out of my contract. Let me tell you, it was worth every penny.

Run from this facility and don't look back. You clearly have no support from the administration and need to look out for yourselves.

[leslie :-D]

scrubby, i know you cannot fight your coworker's battle.

but i admire you very much, for writing this up and taking a stand.

perhaps a cc to the chief of medicine would be enlightening?

what really ticks me off, is i sense this dr. will claim he was merely 'guiding' this nurse's arm to whatever he needed done for the pt.

i can tell you, w/o a doubt, what my husband would want to do (if this happened to me).

keep it going, scrubby.

hopefully your friend will get angry enough to take action herself.

hugs, my friend.

leslie

[lindarn]

I let the nurse know that if she wanted to call the police then I would be more than happy to be a witness.

The nurse involved is new to our department and country and her English isn't 100%. Today she seemed really confused on what to do because everyone was telling her different things. I thought the best thing for her was to go home and have a think about it because the last thing she needs is pressure put on her.

If it were me I would definitely be calling the police. I don't care what management or the CNC would have to say about it because what he did was illegal.

You know of course that is what hospital want- foreign nurses who are afraid to complain about abuse. They are probably in 7th heaven that she did not call the police at the time. I would not be surprises if she calls the police that they will threaten to send her back to her country if she follows through with a criminal complaint.

Lindarn, RN, BSN, CCRN

Spokane, Washington