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!!!!!!!
Inebiration and intoxication is no excuse for violent behaviour. Do you think the DA declines to prosecute an MVA because the driver was drunk?! People need to be held responsible for their actions. I know we're trained it school to empathise with the patient, to understand their current situation and to not 'personalise' their responses because they are in pain or they are ill or under a lot of stress etc.
But this isn't a confused 90 year old who swung at you. This isn't a patient who is mentally 'challenged' who tried to hit you because "you're hurting my arm!" as you were drawing blood.
No, this was an otherwise healthy adult who is there in the ED because they were intoxicated - on alcohol, on benzos, whatever. In other words, someone who ought to know better, can do better, but chose to get so inebriated that they were brought into the ED...
The more such charges are placed, maybe more such future patients would think twice about their behaviour. Maybe it might serve as a "warning sign" that they need to look at their lifestyle and make some changes...
cheers,
Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN
20,908 Posts
It is stupid...hospitals look upon it as bad PR.... that the public views the environment isn't "safe". Until recent laws in certain states nurses had little recourse. Check out my post on page 2 post 17...it's a true story.