Would You Press Charges?

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I worked on the adolescent psych unit tonight and a 14 year old with a long history of violence and psychiatric problems punched me in the jaw. She was already in the midst of attacking another nurse and when I stepped in to help is when I was punched. Went to the ER, nothing's broken, but my jaw is so sore! Also when she made contact, the force threw my head back and I pulled a neck muscle.

Would you press charges against this patient? She is already due for a court date for a similar charge.

I would say definitely press charges. ASAP. The longer you wait the more it would appear to a prosecutor that you are not interested. Get the police there today to make a report. In some states this is a felony and the police will file charges for you. If it is a misdemeanor you will have to follow up yourself. If you decide later on to drop charges do it then. In my experience if you don't press charges now you will always wish you did. It is important that you do not delay. Remember, YOU are the victim, you are the one who had to bear the pain. I would not worry what my supervisor or coworkers have to say about it. You have a constitutional right to equal protection of the law. Workplace safety is not an option, it is a right. Go for it, don't delay. I wish you the best.

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Specializes in Telemetry, OR, ICU.
Thanks for all your responses. To answer a couple of questions, my supervisor was the one she was attacking when I stepped in. I don't think she is pressing charges. Also, this patient has been deemed 'competent'. We think that she is in our facility to avoid going to jail. You see that alot sometimes...juvenile criminals take a 'holiday' from jail by making a suicidal threat and they get sent to us, which is alot more 'cushy' than jail.

LOL, this info would have been helpful from the start. Nonetheless, even if this teenager is clever enough to use the system to her cushy advantage I find it interesting your supervisor is not pressing charges. BTW, in a takedown situation is it not best to involve several staff members, rather than just two? I was not there & obviously don't have all the facts.

If the patient is abusing the system then yes [OP] press charges. However, I'd be interested to know why your supervisor chooses not to press charges?

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Specializes in Telemetry, OR, ICU.

How many of you that say w/o a doubt & no matter what would press criminal charges to the fullest extent... work in an adolescent psych treatment facility as a registered nurse?

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Again, we were talking about an isolated incident on whether or not the OP should press criminal charges R/T to physical assault by an adolescent psych patient. If this patient understood the implications of inappropriate axns R/T poor anger mgmt, then maybe this teenager would not be a patient in the first place. :doh:

OP stated that the patient was already up on similar charges, so I wouldn't define this as a isolated incident.

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How many of you that say w/o a doubt & no matter what would press criminal charges to the fullest extent... work in an adolescent psych treatment facility as a registered nurse?

A lot depends on the mental state of the patient. If they are incompetent, why would you press charges? Is the person remorseful? I know too many teens that get way with it on poor excuses. They never learn the lessons untill it is too late. They end up in jail, or even worse someone is killed or seriously hurt because they are allowed to slide. Just because they are in the psych ward does not make them immune.

Drysolong, there are lots of reasons to be on the psych ward. Clinical depression that is getting to the point you cannot function, adjusting psych meds under close monitering, being suicidal, self harming actions, anger issues, and much more. It is not normally because they are incompitent. Unfortunately many judges are putting juveniles in the hosp or foster care instead of detention centers when they should be there. There are special hospitals for the higher care cases, and most incompetent persons go there. An example of that would be Western State Hospital in Virginia. http://www.wsh.dmhmrsas.virginia.gov/history.htm

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interesting scenario.

in 2005, my then 15 yo dd was in and out of 6 psyche hospitals, all in a locked dual dx unit.

a few psychiatrists dx'd her differently, which made getting a definitive dx near impossible....other psychiatrists just ran with the initial (1st hospitalization) dx, which was bipolar.

during her last hospitalization, her behavior was notably agitated. she was highly destructive on the unit, breaking and throwing things. they were giving her prn thorazine.

i received a call one noc, that dd had assaulted a pt. it was a young man and dd beat the living daylights out of him, giving him a black eye and fat lip. from my understanding, dd had sought out the assistance of staff when this boy was being sexually vulgar to the female pts. and i did confirm this with the staff. they were busy at the time that dd had approached them. but nonetheless, the boy did have the choice of pressing charges, which he opted not to. it would have prevented the situation from escalating however, had the staff intervened when dd informed them of this boy's vulgarity. i blame both staff and dd.

then a few days later she assaulted a female pt. the girl and her parents pressed charges. dd begged for me to get a lawyer. i refused. i told her time and time again, she never has the right to lay a hand on anyone else.

she might have had some psyche disorders but does not negate her ability to differentiate right from wrong.

esp in an adolescent unit, hormones are often a factor in aggressive behavior. some of these hospitals made my head spin. obviously some are better run than others.

there's nothing black and white about these situations. all one can do is look at the big picture and make a decision accordingly.

good luck meerkat.

leslie

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Specializes in Telemetry, OR, ICU.
OP stated that the patient was already up on similar charges, so I wouldn't define this as a isolated incident.

No, I did not understand that the patient was up on any charges; "I worked on the adolescent psych unit tonight and a 14 year old with a long history of violence and psychiatric problems punched me in the jaw".

However, I am guilty of choosing my words incorrectly. I should have posted this is the first time [that we know of] the OP has been punched by this particular patient. Therefore, the OP's question of being punched in the jaw happened one time and is an isolated incident.

BTW, later the OP mentioned they thought the patient was admitted to the faciility as a means to avoid jail. Yet, she makes not mention of any previous charges. Again, I'm just trying to keep from reading btwn the lines.

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Specializes in Telemetry, OR, ICU.
A lot depends on the mental state of the patient. If they are incompetent, why would you press charges? Is the person remorseful? I know too many teens that get way with it on poor excuses. They never learn the lessons untill it is too late. They end up in jail, or even worse someone is killed or seriously hurt because they are allowed to slide. Just because they are in the psych ward does not make them immune...

Immune from what? Immune from jail time? Or, immune from facing consequences? I hope I've not given the incorrect impression this patient should be allowed to "slide". This patient needs some serious intervention, no doubt.

Do you suggest jail time is the only appropriate rehab course for this individual which has a long history of psychiatric problems?

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I think jail is the only appropriate rehab course for any person who is legally competent and assaults another person. End of story. Anything else is just excusing the inexcusable and I think that's garbage. I guess you can tell what I would do.

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Specializes in Telemetry, OR, ICU.
I think jail is the only appropriate rehab course for any person who is legally competent and assaults another person. End of story. Anything else is just excusing the inexcusable and I think that's garbage. I guess you can tell what I would do.

Jail time for 14 yr old? Okay, you said end of story and I respect your opinion. ;)

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I worked on the adolescent psych unit tonight and a 14 year old with a long history of violence and psychiatric problems punched me in the jaw. She was already in the midst of attacking another nurse and when I stepped in to help is when I was punched. Went to the ER, nothing's broken, but my jaw is so sore! Also when she made contact, the force threw my head back and I pulled a neck muscle.

Would you press charges against this patient? She is already due for a court date for a similar charge.

This is the originial post. You just missed it, easy enough to do.

Also JAIL is not a detension center. Minors do not normally go to jail unless they have several serious charges and the court decides to try them as an adult.

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Specializes in LTC and MED-SURG.
I think jail is the only appropriate rehab course for any person who is legally competent and assaults another person. End of story. Anything else is just excusing the inexcusable and I think that's garbage. I guess you can tell what I would do.

In a way I agree with you, EXCEPT, imho, jail is NOT rehabilitation, it is punitive. In jail, one mainly learns to be more criminal. I would personally prefer that adolescents learn something else.

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