When does staff rights start

[angeloublue22, BSN, RN]

I don't know how your unit works but if we had a patient targeting a certain staff member we would switch units or have another staff member interact with that patient to meet their needs. Of course, we had the luxury of having 2 nurses on the unit and we had 4 separate units. Unfortunately, as far as I know, there's not much you can do legally.

[vintagemother, BSN, CNA, LVN, RN]

Lots of people have mentioned that they personally aren't bothered by racial or otherwise discriminatory slurs.

The OP is talking about a different issue, which I understand to be related to the legal ramifications of managers allowing ongoing racial/discriminatory slurs to be directed toward a particular staff person by a particular pt.

I think that something should be put in place to address the harassed staff member. This may include a simple conference with the pt explaining inappropriate behavior.

It may involve providing the staff person with information, support, etc.

But to do nothing to even attempt to stop racial slurs from harming a staff person could potentially cause the staff person harm and could potentially cause the facility to face some liability.

I'm aware pts with mental illness aren't always in control of themselves, however, I think there is still a duty to protect staff members.

I've been called n@gger by maybe 2 pts in my 3 yrs of work in healthcare. I can stand being called it 1x, no bigggie. But one time I had a pt who screamed the word at me all shift for several days and it began to affect me.

When a staff member pulled me to the side and said, "I'm sorry that you are going through this. No one should be abused like this." I felt so much better.

Edited Mar 10, 2016 by vintagemother

[vintagemother, BSN, CNA, LVN, RN]

I also recall that while orienting in a psych facility, during med pass, a pt with an axis I dx grabbed the water pitcher and threw the water on us while calling me an n@gg@r and calling her a "commi" (communist) this was a seasoned nurse, but after med pass, while documenting, she was crying. [emoji29] I didn't know what to do except tell her I'm sorry and ask what I could do to help-which was nothing. [emoji29]

[nurse lala, BSN, RN]

The voluntary patient

First we talk about expectations of respectful behavior.

We reinforce expectations.

Then discharge.

The he involuntary patients get behavioral interventions.

Then are dced ASAP.

[Orca, ADN, ASN, RN]

Nothing wrong with immediate correction and redirection. This should not be allowed to happen repeatedly.

[SarahMaria, MSN, RN]

Attempt to redirect, but that is unlikely to be successful. I have a patient who constantly uses the N word. At this point, administration, management, staff, and other patients do nothing but ignore it. It's not ideal, but you can't change a racist who has already been engaging in that behavior on the unit for the past 21 years.

[Sniper06]

Contact OSHA. That will change interactions.

[B-52RN]

Contact OSHA. That will change interactions.

What will OSHA do?

[workingot]

at my psych ward full of murderers and rapists ( am I supposed to say " alleged" murderers and rapists?), we get verbally targeted 24/7/365. nothing is done or can be done I suppose. nothing much is done even when patients grab staff, by the throat, crotch, breasts, or spit on staff, or break staff legs etc. the administration say its part of the job, and local magistrates almost never call it assault and when staff do try to push it management pressures them to drop it. the local courts basically say its a mental patient you know where you work.

[GeminiNurse29]

Similar here. I work with mainly forensics patients and the most they can do with an assault is board the guy, seclude him, and send him to the highest security unit (basically even more than jail). But we were told straight up, even if it's a hostage situation or something, higher up will protect the security of the place bs staff safety. Translation: Sh!t out of luck.

[Jusween]

at my psych ward full of murderers and rapists ( am I supposed to say " alleged" murderers and rapists?), we get verbally targeted 24/7/365. nothing is done or can be done I suppose. nothing much is done even when patients grab staff, by the throat, crotch, breasts, or spit on staff, or break staff legs etc. the administration say its part of the job, and local magistrates almost never call it assault and when staff do try to push it management pressures them to drop it. the local courts basically say its a mental patient you know where you work.

This scenario infuriates me. Law enforcement is not charged with the responsibility of determining a patient's psychological competence prior to arrest. That decision rests with a judge or jury after they have heard supporting testimony from experts. The police officer's job is to perform an arrest when a crime has been committed. Battery and sexual assault are crimes and they are easily distinguishable from injuries incurred as a result of intervening with an out of control psychotic pt. Management has NO right to preclude staff members from demanding protection, up to and including arrest if they are perpetrated on and they are responsible to assure staff ratios that are reflective of patient acuity. An exception would be for the above mentioned incident, which is a reasonable expectation for psychiatric care work. Nurses have every reason to expect safety from criminal behavior and a hospital that prevents arrest or that allows this conduct to continue is committing an OSHA violation. Moreover, these concerns should be included within the union bargaining agreement. It is not responsible medicine to allow antisocial behavior in an inpatient unit. That's what jail is for. Danger to others is what seclusion is for. If a patient is dangerous to others he is discharged, arrested or placed in seclusion until dangerousness has been resolved. Get a spine and advocate for yourselves! This is ridiculous!

[workingot]

wow the get a spine comment. we have been on tv, news, at the governors mansion protesting. but nc has a law prohibiting collective bargaining so we cant strike and they know it. just had a nurse get jaw broken and hair pulled out. she is pressing charges, but hospital will villify her and DA will likely throw charges out. we dont have collective bargaining. its actually declared illegal here from an archaic 1959 law. osha has not been helpful. we call them, they write a letter giving our employer 3 days to respond. employer lies in response, the end. osha doesnt even send inspector to our facility, and an actual osha inspector from nc dept of labor told our capitol newspaper the raleigh news and observer that he had wanted to inspect us but his supervisor denied it. its a mess here. hope things are well where you are.