So far in my short few months on the floor I've already had a bunch of patients threaten to hit me. Every time I get threatened or yelled at by the public all I can think of is that I'm not getting paid enough to put up with this ****.
What do you do when someone just threatens violence? If I just called security on my ascom who knows when they would show up. But I don't feel the need to call a code since nothing is actually happening & I don't want to make the patient more irate.
Yesterday I was trying to remove a patient's IV (she was being D/C'd). She had paper thin skin & lots of tape. I was trying to go as slow as possible & use ETOH pads & then hand sanitizer. She wasn't good with pain & at one point she said she was going to punch me in the face. What do you do in a situation like that? I just quickly changed the conversation & de-escalated her, then she was fine.
Specializes in Med/Surg/Infection Control/Geriatrics.
If you have patients that are prone to violence, have someone in the room with you when you are needed.
If the patient is not confused, and just being a bully, you can threaten to call law enforcement. I had to do that when a young man (very big and strong) literally tossed me against the wall in his bathroom after I answered his call light. He had been smoking and we spoke a few times about it because he had been caught smoking in his bathroom. I told him I would have no problem alerting the Fire Marshall as it is prohibited here in MN.
He got angry and called me names, taunting me and then assaulted me. When I tried to hit the Emergency Light, he kept resetting it. It was late at night and I didn't want to alarm others, so I managed to get out of his room by his shoving me out the door. I called the Police in addition to the House Supervisor and my Charge.
He left AMA down the back stairs but the Police picked him up. I had to give a statement to them the next day at Police HQ. I did not lose my job, although the House Super was a bit annoyed that she wasn't notified first. I didn't care. Time was of the essence and he was dangerous. I did not lose my job. Your safety comes first in a situation like that. Document it, report it and follow up.
Have Nurse, ADN, RN
3 Articles; 719 Posts
If you have patients that are prone to violence, have someone in the room with you when you are needed.
If the patient is not confused, and just being a bully, you can threaten to call law enforcement. I had to do that when a young man (very big and strong) literally tossed me against the wall in his bathroom after I answered his call light. He had been smoking and we spoke a few times about it because he had been caught smoking in his bathroom. I told him I would have no problem alerting the Fire Marshall as it is prohibited here in MN.
He got angry and called me names, taunting me and then assaulted me. When I tried to hit the Emergency Light, he kept resetting it. It was late at night and I didn't want to alarm others, so I managed to get out of his room by his shoving me out the door. I called the Police in addition to the House Supervisor and my Charge.
He left AMA down the back stairs but the Police picked him up. I had to give a statement to them the next day at Police HQ. I did not lose my job, although the House Super was a bit annoyed that she wasn't notified first. I didn't care. Time was of the essence and he was dangerous. I did not lose my job. Your safety comes first in a situation like that. Document it, report it and follow up.