Violence in the ER

Specialties Emergency

Published

Question: how do you feel about pressing charges against a patient that hits you?

Plenty of experience with mentally ill PTs and those frequent flyers with ETOH abuse ... The drug seeking patients that get angry when they are cleared and don't get what they want. That seems part of the ER to me ..

However here is the situation. Pt arrives via EMS screaming and yelling. She gets off the stretcher and tries to bolt.. Assist the pt in a room start a IV then she tries to swing at me and misses then I explain ..." Hey you made some choices and its not going well I'm your nurse and I'm going to try and make this go as smooth as possible ... However you can't hit me or the other nurses .. Labeling blood other nurse leaves to finish triage .. Pt comes to the end of the bed I turn and say "no you can't get up you will fall" boom slapped in the face .., PT has blood alcohol level above 400 driver in MVA ..

Question: would you press charges? If not why? If yes why? I did press charges.. Close to a 14 hour shift. Hitting the hay !! Curious to see how other ER nurses view this!

7 BA52, 2 Marchman Acts today .. Tomorrow will better!!!!!!!

Specializes in CT ,ICU,CCU,Tele,ED,Hospice.

yes I would press charges .the hell with the institution.no one gets to abuse me.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ER/ICU, CCL, EP.

I told my employer last year that I had a New Years resolution. Any patient that assaulted me while drunk/on drugs was going

To see a cop. My manager understood, though she didn't appear to like it.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in retired LTC.

GOOD FOR YOU!!!

Just FYI to New Jersey nurses out there - I looked up our current law and there is grounds for for nurses (and a bunch of others) to press charges for being assaulted while in the line of duty. The law reaches out to mailmen, bus drivers, Comcast/Verizon techs, EMTs, ambulance folk, cops, etc - assaulted in the line of duty. And nurses were not just limited to RNs in hospitals ... some laws out there are vague in the language. I thought the NJ law was pretty clear.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.
yes I would press charges .the hell with the institution.no one gets to abuse me.

While I agree with you....I'm from the Northeast as well and I will tell you that while filing charges is the right thing to do....it can still cost you your job. If you are willing to realize that is a distinct possibility then do what your conscience tells you to do.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ER, Addictions, Geriatrics.

While I agree with you....I'm from the Northeast as well and I will tell you that while filing charges is the right thing to do....it can still cost you your job. If you are willing to realize that is a distinct possibility then do what your conscience tells you to do.

That is incredibly sad, that an employer would rather allow their front line staff to take some punches and keep quiet about it, rather than protect them. Maybe nurses should have to carry pepper spray, would that be a better alternative? Jeez.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.
That is incredibly sad, that an employer would rather allow their front line staff to take some punches and keep quiet about it, rather than protect them. Maybe nurses should have to carry pepper spray, would that be a better alternative? Jeez.

Go to post 17 of this thread it is a true story.....I was there....I know this nurse

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in CT ,ICU,CCU,Tele,ED,Hospice.

thankfully my current institution is supportive .they may not like that we call police but some staff have when needed.and ed staff support eachother.if I ever lost my job over a situation in pressing charges I would sue the hospital.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

One huge benefit of working at a public university is that we have our own cops very close by

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Emergency.

every situation is different..th it.

The demented old man or lady I am not looking to be the bad guy. if they swing at me I let it go.

The drunk/on drugs patient who did this to themselves I will absolutely press charges on. They are high, not disabled. If you hit a nurse or a cop, the outcome is the same...felony.! I don't want all your money I just want you to learn your lesson. Don't hit the nurse. We are here to help so we put up with a lot more than usual...doesn't mean you will get away with it.

Amy

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Trauma, Teaching.

An intoxicated woman attacked me, I filed a police report, and had to appear before a grand jury; she was convicted on 2 felony counts of battery on a health care worker. Our state even allows for mandatory testing for blood borne diseases from anyone who exposes us to their own fluids (she bit me). Fortunately she was negative for HIV and hepatitis.

She has been back, bit a security guard that time.

We file reports in our ED! DA won't always press the charges though.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Before calling the police...I'd consider you facility...many are not pleased with the police coming to the facility. I have seen nurse lose thier jobs over this...is it right ? no.....but it happens just the same.

That's just stupid. I am not a RN. I left RN school and did not complete it. This crap about nurses should just take abuse boggled my mind. If a patient hit me, I'd have pressed charges, no hesitation whatsoever.

I fail to see why the hospital would object to police coming there. As a customer, I want to see police there. I may not have a clue what is going on at that hospital or whether or not actual police are employed there all the time. But I would much rather see them than a lone hospital security guard. You know, like if there were some POLICE standing around Good Shepherd Ambulatory Surgical Center on that day, maybe Gail Sandidge would not be dead. With today's violent people, hospitals need cops and need a zero tolerance policy. If they don't, I would not want to be working at that facility anyway.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ER.

My facility is supportive of calling the police if a criminally liable person assaults staff or destroys property in the ER. We recently had an incident where we had to wrestle a pt down and hold him until police arrived.

I think the downside to the customer service model of healthcare is that it gives some people a false sense of entitlement and power. We cater to people who are very manipulative of the system. They will yell out, while they are spewing abuse, that they will be suing, reporting us to management, and so forth. There is less respect for authority in society today.

On the other had, being confrontational only serves to escalate situations.

I would not hesitate to press charges for a serious assault.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Add a Comment