So, Just curious (Oh yeah, I'm in triage again just for the record on day 4, so not having a bad day-Tuesday will be a bad day)
How many of you guys have been assaulted by a patient? And what recourse did you take in it?
I ask because I got slapped with by a lady tonight but I've been punched, spit on and slapped numerous times and it seems to go with the "customer is always right" attitude.
I know the ENA journal a few years ago published an article regarding that the last acceptable place for abuse is the ED.
Hospitals in my area have it posted that no abuse of any kind will be tolerated and that services will be refused and people can face prosecution. Its very serious. At my internship site I had a lady spit in my face because she didn't want to fill out paper work (she hadnt been in the facility in 2 1/2 years and they switched over to EMR's and didn't get her files updated). No one there did anything about it, she was fired as a pt nor was there any consedquences for her. The other MA's appoligized for it and I often got handed the difficult pt's because they felt that I handled bad situations well. Other places I have been at said they would have fired the pts. I treat the nurses I come in contact with very well and if I have a problem with something I handle it with as much patients and class as possible. I thinkt hat since I have been int he field I have more understanding. Its kinda like wairessing, you never know how hard it is or what people put up with until you work in the field (that being said dont forget to tip good like 20-50% IF you get good service). But I dont agree with employers who do not stand up for their employees or who dont have any policies to enforce the safety of their workers. Because that's what it really comes down to.
I was just assaulted last week by a patient. She was an old lady with an intracranial bleed who the docs believed developed ICU psychosis. She slapped me on the side of my head. We tied her butt down! However, I had a headache all night after that. I had a headache for about a full day after that (despite medication). I did write an incident report that night. I went to employee health when I got off from work and reported it to the people in my facility that deal with workman's comp just in case. It was nothing (my headache went away eventually), but I wanted on the records in case it did develop into something. I was so upset by the situation...I called out the next night. And no, I don't agree that the customer is always right. Abuse is never acceptable. I signed up to become a nurse to help people, not to be a punching bag. I don't know if it's nationwide, but in some states it's a felony to assault a nurse. However, when there confused or with some neurological issue...I don't know if there's any real recourse. Oriented or drunk people can go to jail. I guess I better start wearing a helmet and some shoulder pads to work.
Threats are met with attempts to defuse, then reason. If threats persist, warnings ensue.
You assault me - I will defend myself. Nothing too gung-ho or anything. Security, restraints. Done.
And if your behavior is egregious enough, I'll file charges.
And believe me, I'll follow through.
I encourage all my co-workers to do the same. Don't excuse it away with "well pt. is just intoxicated" or "pt. is always like that" or "I don't want the hassle". Would you say the same for a drunk driver who ran over and killed someone else? Actions have consequences.
People have to learn that it's not ok to hit other people.
Plenty of people are able to be intoxicated but still control their behavior (or learn not to become so inebriated in the first place) - why should the non-compliant ones get a free pass?
We get that quite a bit (physical attacks on RN's, LVN's, CNA's) on my floor, and we're med-surg. We get a lot of ETOH, dementia, etc... and on top of that, a handful of wealthy customers used to get their own way. Unfortunately, we don't get a whole lot of support from management when it happens... a recent registry/traveler got burned out and ended her contract with our hospital because of it (and it happened multiple times to her). It's too bad-- she was a great nurse, and it was sad seeing her leave.
Regarding the other service professions, at least they don't have to give bed baths, peri care, etc. to their perverted clients. I mean... it's one thing when a perverted guy continuously hits on you and you can walk away afterwards... but another if a perverted guy continuously hits on you, and you have to continually clean and elevate his swollen, infected scrotum because he moves it on purpose when you walk out of the room (and we have to round at least once an hour for a twelve hour shift). I think medical floor staff have to take it all above and beyond, and they have to do it with a smile... but I guess that's why we get to enjoy "job security" in our field.
In regards to the scrotum pillow: nooooo!!! I feel for you, if that was a real situation (and it sounded like it).
Before nursing school, I worked most of those other professions and it is true that they get harassed in an unfortunate manner. To me though, this is different. It was never problem to tell a customer who was harassing me to leave the restaurant/bar/etc., and never come back. In fact, as a bartender, I did it without hesitation. It is quite another situation to want to tell a patient with kidney and heart failure, hospitalized with sepsis, to take a hike because he's twisted upstairs. That really doesn't fly! :)
Specializes in Infectious Disease, Neuro, Research.
but another if a perverted guy continuously hits on you, and you have to continually clean and elevate his swollen, infected scrotum because he moves it on purpose when you walk out of the room
Its all in how you approach the issue. If you accidentally dropped a liter of NS, fresh from the warmer, onto his happy-sack (or, conversely, a solid brick cold pack) I suspect the problem would be self-resolving. You are, of course, stopping by his bed en route to a patient needing the dropped item...
Benzoin is great for keeping Texas caths in place, when some folks just have to remove them and wet the bed, so that they need a change and wash.
Yes, I have been assaulted by patients. That is why I have a funky rib (fractured while restraining a 15y/o psych kid) and a screw in my thumb (gamekeepers fracture, due to a suicidal patient who didn't want to give up her cigarettes). I have punched, kicked, bitten by patients. And each one I have had arrested. And in the county I work, the State's Attorney plea bargains them down to misdemeanors.
The BEST assault was when one of my co-workers (an LPN) in the ER, thought I was gay and making passes at him. So he brings a LOADED GUN and points it at me, telling me to stop making passes at him...( I didn't know I was). He was arrested, plea-bargained down to simple assault, and lost his job. BUT he kept his license! I filed a complaint with the Department of Professional Regulation, but they said the complaint was "unfounded"..and come to find out..HE was gay, and had a crush on me!!!
deboraclark82
25 Posts
Hospitals in my area have it posted that no abuse of any kind will be tolerated and that services will be refused and people can face prosecution. Its very serious. At my internship site I had a lady spit in my face because she didn't want to fill out paper work (she hadnt been in the facility in 2 1/2 years and they switched over to EMR's and didn't get her files updated). No one there did anything about it, she was fired as a pt nor was there any consedquences for her. The other MA's appoligized for it and I often got handed the difficult pt's because they felt that I handled bad situations well. Other places I have been at said they would have fired the pts. I treat the nurses I come in contact with very well and if I have a problem with something I handle it with as much patients and class as possible. I thinkt hat since I have been int he field I have more understanding. Its kinda like wairessing, you never know how hard it is or what people put up with until you work in the field (that being said dont forget to tip good like 20-50% IF you get good service). But I dont agree with employers who do not stand up for their employees or who dont have any policies to enforce the safety of their workers. Because that's what it really comes down to.