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???
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.
Yes I realize that that is the conclusion that most people drew from the OP's story although I have never seen a patient in respiratory distress who had the strength or ability to assault a staff member and chase her around the unit but that's neither here nor there; my point was that we should never excuse a patient assaulting a staff member regardless of whether we believe the patient has a good excuse or not. Whatever beef we may have with a co-worker, the one time we need to come together is when one of us is in physical danger.
Every nurse should have their situational awareness switched on at all times. Highly recommend "The Gift of Fear" by Gavin de Becker about paying attention to and acting on your innate warning faculties in order to keep you out of danger.
Specializes in Community Health, Med-Surg, Home Health.
I am also impulsive, and would have resorted to beating the mess out of someone that is beating up a staff member for no real rhyme or reason. Maybe we both would have been in jail...
Every nurse should have their situational awareness switched on at all times. Highly recommend "The Gift of Fear" by Gavin de Becker about paying attention to and acting on your innate warning faculties in order to keep you out of danger.
I have a friend who recently followed a confused patient outside through a door that was locked from the outside and she couldn't get back in. She had called for help as she followed him out (around 3am), but no one came. He proceeded to beat her in the head with his foley bag (the one with the hard plastic urometer). She finally scaled a 4ft wall and made her way to the front entrance of the hospital (through the bushes no less) with this confused patient chasing her. Once she was at the front door (that is also locked from the outside after 9pm) she began banging on the glass. She saw a housekeeper who looked at her with this patient attacking her and left her there. Now the housekeeper did go for help, but still..why not open the d@^& door and help her fend off this patient??? (the housekeeper later said that she had not wanted to open the door because she was afraid of the patient getting back in!!!) now to add insult to injury, once my friend had gotten back inside (with a huge red mark on her face, sticks and twigs in her obviously mussed hair and on her clothes, tears and mascara streaming down her face) a patient's family member approached her and said "I would like some coffee. I take it with cream no sugar." !!! I told her at that point I would have said "There's a man with your coffee right out there" and pointed her toward the door outside. The nerve of some people!!!
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???
Please keep us updated on how the staff member is doing. Also, I am curious what the outcome will be for training/security?! Obviously not much of anything happening on those two fronts up to this point.
I hope you don't need to float there ever again. I wish they could shut that place down till things are corrected. That's very dangerous.
Specializes in Mostly LTC, some acute and some ER,.
That is just scary. It actually sounds like a nightmare I recently had of being beaten at work, and no one came to help. That is very sad. I would have backed my co-worker up all the way . . . Maybe they were concerned about the possibility of assault charges if they were to pull this person off of her, but she would have still been in the wrong, and I think any good person should have intervened.
SharonH, RN
2,144 Posts
Yes I realize that that is the conclusion that most people drew from the OP's story although I have never seen a patient in respiratory distress who had the strength or ability to assault a staff member and chase her around the unit but that's neither here nor there; my point was that we should never excuse a patient assaulting a staff member regardless of whether we believe the patient has a good excuse or not. Whatever beef we may have with a co-worker, the one time we need to come together is when one of us is in physical danger.