security guards?

I do not believe in all cases, NOT hurting a patient is going to be possible in every case. If he was choking her TO DEATH, what are you supposed to do? "Oh, well, I wish security would hurry up and get here!" If a couple of guys cannot pry his grip away, what are you going to do? "Oh, that didn't work, what can we do next?" Someone can be dead or critically injured by the time those decisions are made.

What is the BON going to do? Take your license because you wouldn't sit there and let one of your co-workers be killed or injured right in front of you?

Sometimes you are not going to have a CHOICE but to cause pain to a patient in order to get them to stop if another patient or co-worker's life is in immediate danger. As you know, some of them are so mentally ill that they do not respond to immediate requests, refuse to comply with them, or cannot mentally comprehend the seriousness of their actions. They may not able to comply. It's not your normal patient, that is why they are there.

People, regardless of profession, have the right to have themselves protected and other patients from physical harm, and with psych patients, I would wager it's alot similar to a prison system or when police are out in the field. You cannot do unreasonable harm or excessive force, but you have the right to do whatever is necessary to stop harm from coming to someone else.

I think we should have policemen with tasers. At my facility security will come when called, but they usually take a few minutes which still opens us up to a good deal of harm. You should at least have a security guard at the entrance to the facility that can come up as needed.

Marc

To those who work in psych hospitals or on psych units; Do you have a security team available other than your coworkers? I have been working as a charge nurse in a psych hospital for the last few months. I just don't feel like there is much backup should things go wrong. I have seen and been part of the response when a "code" is called and its not impressive. Staff have been seriously injured by patients at the hospital where I work, but the administration is opposed to having a security guard or two on staff insisting that would not be appropriate for our type of "milieu". Caring words aren't enough though and our crisis training was laughable. If this 250 pound psychotic guy puts another nurse in a headlock, how am I and a couple small, middle aged female techs going to help her? Because of my small size, there is a chance that I would have to stop a patient who was intent on hurting a coworker in a manner that would probably hurt the patient. Harming a patient would be a tragic nightmare not to mention a career wrecker. Shouldn't an 82 bed psych hospital shell out for a security guard position?

Yes, there should be security guards available. I use to work at state psych hospitals and I have seen too many co-workers get injured. One got his ear bit off by a patient. Another lady got jumped and now is permanently disabled. I will never ever work in a psych hospital again. It's just too dangerous.