When patients attack

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Have you ever been attacked by a patient? I'd like to hear your story and how you reacted...

Specializes in Emergency & Trauma/Adult ICU.
Ummm? Well, clearly it's a cause for celebration. Usually I throw a big party and tell the story repeatedly over dinner? What do you mean???? :confused:

File a report, press charges, see employee health as needed....and scrub down with cavi wipes head to toe.

Despite your *charming* response, I asked because I was concerned about you. That number of physical altercations is excessive and indicates serious problems within your ED environment.

I work with a patient population of the homeless, gang bangers, undiagnosed/untreated psych patients, and drunk/coked up club goers. (except for the 5 months I worked in a "nice", affluent, suburban ER where patient satisfaction ruled the day - emergency medicine be damned) I have been assaulted once, and it resulted in a jail term for the offender (ironically, or not, it was in the "nice" ER). I have witnessed 2 other assaults.

If you are being assaulted twice annually, and your coworkers are presumably experiencing the same -- something is very, very wrong.

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Specializes in Emergency.

Sorry, Altra. I didn't intend for my response to come across so....charming. :o I have an injury and have been laid up for a month and a half on back and I've realized lately that I am losing my grip on reality and am having a problem keeping things in perspective as well as the ability to use basic reasoning skills. I am literally losing my mind from staring at four walls, watching tv, and reading. But, I don't think I was hurt at work. Well, probably was, but it's nothing I can prove. Plus, not everyone gets my sense of humor and it definitely doesn't read in text (flat) as I would say it in my head or outloud (jokingly.) Please forgive me!!!!

Anyway, yes, someone gets assaulted that frequently in the urban hospital I work at. There is really no response by anyone. It sucks. I actually followed through on one guy who was on cocaine. I wound up going to court and making 3 separate trips downtown to court to follow through on the charges. The judge continually allowed him to postpone the trial as he alleged that he didn't know about the court date it, didn't have his judge, his judge didn't know, he was the ER for seizures (nope), and couldn't remember a thing. I just wanted to jump up and scream, "Liar, liar, pants on fire!!!! He was high and drunk and never once seized!!!" But apparently that is frowned on in court. So I gave up all this time, energy, money, missed days at work, left my coworkers short staffed, and repeatedly inconvenienced the cop who was working nights who filed the report, etc to make all these trips and get wound up and anxious about the court date for the case to eventually be dropped because his mommy (the man was 49 yoa) wanted to get him placed in a "long term care facility for drugs." After I informed the DA that those places didn't exist here and that even if he was placed somewhere that within the week he would be thrown out or leave andhe would be back living at the hourly rate motel down the street from my hospital and that he better not come back to my ER, I rolled out. I definitely learned my lesson. I suffered more during the process than he did and was taught a bigger lesson. I refuse to let the criminal get anymore of my time and the law protects them more than me. Sigh, my taxes at work....:mad:

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Specializes in Emergency.

Also, I have given a lot of thought to moving to one of those cushier, nicer hospitals...where the pts have insurance. But, I've heard there can be a lot of......pillow fluffing. I'm not sure I would be very good with the customer service as I am trying to focus on safe and good nursing. We don't even have pillows in my ER! :lol2:

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Specializes in Trauma, Teaching.
Also, I have given a lot of thought to moving to one of those cushier, nicer hospitals...where the pts have insurance. But, I've heard there can be a lot of......pillow fluffing. I'm not sure I would be very good with the customer service as I am trying to focus on safe and good nursing. We don't even have pillows in my ER! :lol2:

Heavens ThrowEd! How on earth can you practice the 3Ps of nursing! Pleasing Physicians, Pushing Pills and Plumping Pillows without pillows??? :jester::clown:

The best customer service IS safe and good nursing, now,,,, if we could just convince the public of that.

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