Patient Beats Up Nursing Staff Member

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Specializes in Community Health, Med-Surg, Home Health.

I was outraged hearing this. We have satellite clinic affiliated with our hospital, that is sort of far and segregated in a neighborhood that has become more unsafe thoughout the years. Anyway, a patient came to the clinic insisting on birth control pills. The staff basically told her that birth control pills are not distributed the same way condoms are, and she would need to be evaluated by a physician. They say that this patient showed her natural behind, and one of the doctors tried to take her to the side to explain what needed to be done and why.

Then, a Patient Care Associate got involved to explain the same thing, and the patient hauls off and starts beating her up for dear life. None of the staff helped her, from nurses, other aides, or physicians. By the time the police arrived, the patient ran off.

I am thoroughly disgusted that these staff members did not assist this woman as she was being attacked. It could have been any one of them, from receptionist to physicians. And there were at least 8-10 people on duty. What has dealing with people come to???

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.

How cowardly for the staff to stand back and watch as a patient battered a fellow staff member. Seriously, I don't know every single detail at this point, but I think they behaved in a cowardly manner by not intervening when a coworker was being physically attacked.

I hope this abusive patient is tracked down and prosecuted to the fullest extent permitted by law. Healthcare workers should not have to endure these types of grave abuses by members of society, ever. It is a shame that we are not more valued and respected.

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Yeah, pretty pathetic. We are a nation of wimps who only care about ourselves. Just read the threads about drivers yelling and screaming about traffic hold up while their brothers and sisters lie on the road bleeding to death. Or, what about all of the abused kids and spouses in the country? What about their apathetic neighbors who refuse to even pick up the phone and call the police when they know damn well what is going on? Hey, I understand not wanting to catch the HEP from somebody gushing blood all over the place, but to stand by and do nothing while a fellow coworker is beat half to death...pretty low in my book. IMHO

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Specializes in Community Health, Med-Surg, Home Health.

Goodness, if I were there, I would have probably jumped on that woman's back. Inappropriate, yes, however, what would have gone through MY mind is what if this were ME??? It is funny, I was sent to that clinic two days before the incident...the stars shined on me...

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They should be reprimanded for leaving that poor person to deal with that nonsense.

I was precepting in a ER a while back and a "not so nice word" idiot came into ER, drunk and being a mean SOB asked me to give him a drink of water. After clearing it with my preceptor he takes the cup of water throws it in my face then, literally breaks my nose! In like 2 seconds the 2 male nurses on staff were literally laying on top of him, security guard was strapping him to the gurney, and I was bleeding all over the place and stunned. My preceptor rushed me from the room where the ER doc confirms my broken nose and literally everyone staff person in there, once the cops came, pressed charges on this "not so nice word." Thank GOODNESS these staff members reacted cause there is no telling what would have happened otherwise.

People at times, SUCK.

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They should be reprimanded for leaving that poor person to deal with that nonsense.

I was precepting in a ER a while back and a "not so nice word" idiot came into ER, drunk and being a mean SOB asked me to give him a drink of water. After clearing it with my preceptor he takes the cup of water throws it in my face then, literally breaks my nose! In like 2 seconds the 2 male nurses on staff were literally laying on top of him, security guard was strapping him to the gurney, and I was bleeding all over the place and stunned. My preceptor rushed me from the room where the ER doc confirms my broken nose and literally everyone staff person in there, once the cops came, pressed charges on this "not so nice word." Thank GOODNESS these staff members reacted cause there is no telling what would have happened otherwise.

People at times, SUCK.

The nerve of some folks....to think that they think they can just come into a healthcare facility and attack someone who is there to help them.

I hope that idiot had to spend several days in lockup and pay a big fine for what he did to you and if I were the judge this would haunt him for the rest of his life and would make things really difficult for him if he were ever picked up for drinking again.

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Specializes in Community Health, Med-Surg, Home Health.
They should be reprimanded for leaving that poor person to deal with that nonsense.

I was precepting in a ER a while back and a "not so nice word" idiot came into ER, drunk and being a mean SOB asked me to give him a drink of water. After clearing it with my preceptor he takes the cup of water throws it in my face then, literally breaks my nose! In like 2 seconds the 2 male nurses on staff were literally laying on top of him, security guard was strapping him to the gurney, and I was bleeding all over the place and stunned. My preceptor rushed me from the room where the ER doc confirms my broken nose and literally everyone staff person in there, once the cops came, pressed charges on this "not so nice word." Thank GOODNESS these staff members reacted cause there is no telling what would have happened otherwise.

People at times, SUCK.

Of COURSE they should have intervened. If it were them, they would have wanted it. This makes me very leery if I ever have to float down there again; I would believe that I'd be totally on my own if I were attacked.

I am glad that your collagues showed more teamwork than these people did.

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Geriatrics.

That's interesting. Not so long ago someone posted on this forum about how she intervened on behalf of the patient when he attacked a staff member and almost everyone concluded that the nurse had it coming because she clearly neglected the guy and he was just trying to get some help. I wonder why it would be justified in one case and not the other?

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Specializes in Emergency Room, Cardiology, Medicine.

Errr.. I'm really impulsive. Without thinking, I'd jump in and either kick the crap out of somebody or have the crap kicked out of me. :) Anything to help the person who could get really hurt... whether we're on good terms or not.

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Specializes in LTC, assisted living, med-surg, psych.

I can't imagine working in a place where no one's got your back if something hits the fan.

Several years back, I admitted a pt in acute ETOH withdrawal who had evidently gotten hold of some 'angel dust' as well. He was a scrawny little dude, maybe 130 pounds wringing wet, but he was strong as an ox and madder than a wet cat! Suddenly he lunged at me with a growl in his throat and murder in his eye; just as his hands were about to close around my throat I managed to push a bedside table between us and screamed for help.

Luckily, I worked in a hospital where staff looked out for one another; in the blink of an eye 2 beefy security guards, four nurses, and the house supervisor were in there helping me take him down. It took all eight of us to subdue the man and get him in four-points, and even then he was trying to bite us and thrashing wildly in the restraints. I can't remember how much Ativan it took to bring him under control, but it was enough to snow a grizzly bear; I don't even like to think of what could have happened---that pt was bent on killing me, and undoubtedly would have if my co-workers had behaved the way staff members did in the OP. Scary stuff, indeed.

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That's interesting. Not so long ago someone posted on this forum about how she intervened on behalf of the patient when he attacked a staff member and almost everyone concluded that the nurse had it coming because she clearly neglected the guy and he was just trying to get some help. I wonder why it would be justified in one case and not the other?

I think I know what thread you are referring to. As I recall, that patient later indicated he was having trouble breathing because his trach was dirty and he had repeatedly requested it be taken care of. Also, I don't recall exactly how he supposedly assaulted the supervisor, but I'm pretty sure he wasn't beating the daylights out of her. I think most posters in that thread were stating if he was truly in respiratory distress he may have been acting out of desperation, fearing for his life.

In the incident described by the OP, there is no way this woman's life was in immediate danger because of a delay in obtaining BCP's. What she did was absolutely beyond reason and she should be charged for her crime. I also think that if the patient in the other post was not really having trouble breathing and was simply acting out because he wanted what he wanted immediately then he too should be charged with assault.

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Some staff members were brutally attacked by a patient, and not only were other staff involved in helping but visitors and other patients stepped up too.

Our psych unit staff taught all other hospital staff (hands-on) how to break holds, defend ourselves and surround and take down a combative person. It was a yearly mandatory inservice at our facility.

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