Self defense and protection in a hospital.

Nurses General Nursing

Published

So with the risk of an active shooter being real these days and all those darn "no firearms allowed" signs that don't do anything against a bad guy (but do put my job at risk if I carry on campus). We need other options.

One of the ones I really like is carrying the Kimber Pepper Blaster (Kimber America | Pepperblaster | The most powerful pepper defense system).

The other good option is a fire extinguisher (located all over facilities). Shoot the fire extinguisher into the bad guy's face and then smash their head in with the fire extinguisher once they are disorientated.

Anyhow. back on point.

Tactical Flashlights make a great pocket sized defense weapons as well. A quality blade is another option.

Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

Lets keep this on target which is NON-LETHAL means of self-defense......

Anyhow. back on point.

Tactical Flashlights make a great pocket sized defense weapons as well. A quality blade is another option.

Hehe - this gets better as the days go by ...

The bell on your scope makes for a great weapon...i smacked myself in the eye with mine once (long story) and it hurt like hell!

I like it! I can picture that working like a set of nunchucks you can access it easily and no one is the wiser that you're "carrying" :)

PS I might even take it on my run tonight.:up:

Specializes in ICU.

I worked ER ten years ago and the K-9 unit always responded to our calls. The worst of the worst would stop and when faced with a growling barking attack dog. I highly recommend that you make friends with the K-9 officers.

Specializes in ED, Telemetry,Hospice, ICU, Supervisor.

We have had distraught family members in the ER bring in a gun and threaten to shoot staff. My advice to everyone is to NOT BE A HERO. It may seem "cool" to tackle the armed assailant or "judo-throw", "superman-punch", "flying-guillotine", but this is not the movies. An accidental discharge can cause a bullet to go through curtains, people and walls. Deescalation, finding cover or concealment and calling proper authorities is the best chance you have.

Most hospitals are soft targets, with the exception of hospitals who have armed guards continuously present on site 24 hours a day 7 days a week. Before anyone wants to act like a hero, think of your own family. Do you want to die a hero? Or do you want to live and see your spouse and kids? Only the individual can make that decision.

Specializes in CVOR, CVICU/CTICU, CCRN.

I've had my share of aggressive patients (nothing that would top calivianya, though) and I can't say I have a good answer. "Do no harm" sometimes comes into direct opposition with personal and staff safety, but aside from a joint lock while trying to sedate, there's not a whole lot to be done. Redirection can only take you so far, and if the patient is bound and determined to do damage, that limits the options very quickly. No security at my facility, police response is typical for a large town, and I'm the only person on the nightshift with the build of an enforcer (MMA trained and 240lbs).

If an active shooter made his/her way into the building, we'd be toast. The fire doors aren't equipped with lock-down technology, and we're a gun-free facility (not that the perp would give a crap).

Specializes in Critical Care.
Anyhow. back on point.

Tactical Flashlights make a great pocket sized defense weapons as well. A quality blade is another option.

I can never go anywhere without my tactical pen and tactical clipboard!

Amazon.com : Best Tactical Pen for Self Defense - #1 Rated - Includes LED Flashlight, DNA Catcher, & Glass Breaker! (1 Pack) : Sports & Outdoors

Amazon.com : Tactical Pocket Klipboard, TMK-TPK : Sports & Outdoors

I also will not be caught dead without my tactilneck!!!!

H2H Mens Basic Knitted Turtleneck Slim Fit Pullover Sweaters of Various Colors at Amazon Men’s Clothing store:

This tactical ID holder not only lets people know what a badass I am, but that I'm also up to challenge any threat ever.

Amazon.com : OneTigris Tactical ID Card Holder Velcro Patch Badge Holder Neck Lanyard Key Ring and Credit Card Organizer (Black) : Sports & Outdoors

And of course, who can forget some tactical goggles for those juicy traumas that roll in.

Amazon.com : Bencore Black Ventec Tactical Goggle - Life-Time Warranty : Paintball Goggles : Sports & Outdoors

I think you could say that I'm the tacticoolest dude at my work place.

To be serious, for a second:

Unless you are trained in self defense and in tactical situations, you are not helping, you are in the way and are likely to get other people hurt.

There are two priorities in this situation, safety for yourself and safety for your patients.

It is not safe for you to be firing a gun in a facility unless you are a trained responder and know how to do it without hurting innocent bystanders. Judging from the lack of sensible responses on this thread, no one here should take a gun to work.

Mace is OK, but often ends up in your own face as much as your assailant's, so be sure you really need to go there. That stuff is NASTY.

The best thing you can do in this situation is get yourself, and every one else that you can, away from the danger zone until trained responders arrive.

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dual purpose...in case of emergency! u can use it as a shield and something!(you know what I mean)

In my opinion this thread has been edited to the point where many of the posts/replies have become nonsensical. I don't think that I would be able to make heads or tails of it if I hadn't read the original version. Anyway, even with what remains of it, there's still plenty left to address.

We need other options.

One of the ones I really like is carrying the Kimber Pepper Blaster (Kimber America | Pepperblaster | The most powerful pepper defense system).

The other good option is a fire extinguisher (located all over facilities). Shoot the fire extinguisher into the bad guy's face and then smash their head in with the fire extinguisher once they are disorientated.

OP, in my opinion the methods you advocate would only be acceptable in the most dire of circumstances and only in a situation where all other means available to you have been exhausted. What you propose constitutes a high level of force with a non-negligible risk of being lethal rather than the advertised non-lethal.

About the pepperblaster:

Kimber PepperBlaster II: A Review | Officer.com

The unit fires an oleoresin capsicum based semi-liquid under pressure. The 10% OC mix has been proven effective over the past couple of decades as we've seen it used in numerous OC (pepper spray) products from multiple manufacturers. To measure how hot” the OC mix is, however, we use something called Scoville Heat Units (SHUs). To put hot” in perspective, your typical jalapeno pepper measures at 2,500-8,000 SHUs. Tabasco Sauce measures between 7,000-8,000 SHUs. A Habanero Chile pepper typically measures between 100,000 and 350,000 SHUs. Call me what you want, but I find the typical jalapeno pepper too spicy (although my family members love them).

The OC blend in the Pepperblaster II is rated at 4,000,000 SHUs. That's over ten times hotter” than a habanero chile pepper.

A blast of compressed gas forces the OC mix out, according to the Kimber website, at approximately 90 miles per hour with an effective range of thirteen feet.

WARNING: Right on the side of the Pepperblaster II is a label that warns against firing this device into the face of an attacker IF the attacker is closer than two feet. Think about it: ANY liquid fired at that pressure and speed at such a close distance can cause permanent eye injuries. This is a common concern with virtually every non-lethal compressed-gas fired weapon though. You need enough space for safe deployment. The other consideration is back-splatter. You don't want to be so close that anything splattering off your target might affect you. Push that attacker away to AT LEAST arm's length with one had while you hold the Pepperblaster II close to yourself with the other. Insure that minimum two foot gap between the weapon and the attacker's face.

(partial quote, my bold)

What could possibly go wrong here...

About the advice of shooting a fire extinguisher into a person's face. The effect will depend on whether you get hold of a carbon dioxide, dry chemical or foam extinguisher. The result won't be pretty in either case.

ABC extinguishers (often monoammonium phosfate) are abrasive (as well as corrosive to some metals) and the dry chemical is expelled at high velocity/pressure.

When aiming a CO2-extinguisher at a fire the carbon dioxide which is cold enough to cause frost burns, acts through cooling the fire and starving the fire/fuel of oxygen. It has an oxygen reducing effect and isn't recommended for use in enclosed spaces.

This is what happened when a football player's team mates decided to treat his sprained ankle with a fire extinguisher.

Frostbite injury of the foot from portable fire extinguisher [eScholarship]

Imagine the effect of aiming the carbon dioxide at a persons face including their eyes. Frostbite and no oxygen. Not too good.

Carbon Dioxide Extinguishers

Carbon Dioxide extinguishers are filled with non-flammable carbon dioxide gas under extreme pressure. The pressure in the cylinder is so great that when you use one of these extinguishers, bits of dry ice may shoot out the horn.

We've previously covered the fact that "smashing a person's head in" with a relatively heavy/hefty metal object is far from certain of being non-lethal.

Tactical Flashlights make a great pocket sized defense weapons as well. A quality blade is another option.

What's up with this latest addition to the self-defense armory? A blade? I assume that you mean a knife of some sort? A knife is seldom any good in a gun fight and basically never a suitable weapon to use against a violent patient.

As I've mentioned in an earlier post. There are better and safer self-defense methods available. I don't think the methods proposed by OP belong on a nursing forum. Hospitals should in my opinion provide training in de-escalation techniques and self-defense for all healthcare workers who may be subjected to threats, aggression and violence at work. There are also many different types of suitable self-defense classes that one can attend in one's own time. Blades and head-smashing are however (in my opinion) all too "Ramboesque" in nature.

Specializes in ICU.

I dont get paid enough, nor I am not qualified, to deal with armed and dangerous individuals.

The answer is a continuous police presence in the ER, a metal detector, closed circuit cameras and locked doors, not armed medical personnel.

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