Emergency room violence growing concern for nurses

[nursinghumor]

Emergency room violence growing concern for nurses:"Charlene Richardson has been bitten, kicked and punched by patients during 13 years as an emergency room nurse.
She knew the job could get rough. But one night in March 2003, Richardson said, the abuse went too far.
A drunken, 50-year-old Salem man was brought to Beverly Hospital for treatment. As Richardson helped him get ready to leave, he lunged at her, grabbed her crotch and tore through her hospital scrubs. He refused to let go."
http://www.ecnnews.com/cgi-bin/04/s/sstory.pl?fn-ervio2

Yet another reason why nurses are leaving the bedside?

Andrew Lopez, RN
http://www.4nursing.com

(Posted under news also, thought it bore repeating)

[woofinrain]

I was recently attacked by a pt because I didn't use a 3cc syringe to draw her blood while using a 24g cath. I had just got enough blood to fill pedi tubes and she demanded I stop and change syringes. When I said I have it she went ballistic and lost syringe, cath and refused to allow me to remove tourniquet. Called me a number of unsavory names and beat at me with her fists. Now she and her husband have made a complaint to the head of the hospital accusing me of telling her 'shut up' and then she says I held her hand between my legs.....needless to say neither happened. However, I was told today that I should not plan on working next week, and could possibly lose my job over this. I will say I had one other complaint 8 months ago, and nothing since. I am devastated. I like my job, enjoy the people I work with, and feel like I am an excellent nurse. But I just haven't clicked with this nurse mgr and I just don't know what to do. I just worked 12.5 hours, spent another 1.5 for a staff meeting and then stayed til 0930 while this subject was discussed. I drive 35 minutes to and from work...and then the nurse mgr called me at home and wanted me to drive back so this could be rediscussed and a solution arrived at. I told her I was in bed, tired after my shift, and I would be glad to come in on Monday. I was scheduled to work 7p to 7a Monday and she asked me to come in at 9am. I asked her if I should plan on working Monday night and she said no she didn't think so. I am a good nurse, experienced ER and am a team player. Nobody I work with has ever seen any kind of attitude or behavior that suggests I would lose my 'cool' with a patient or their families and my mgr said yes, that is true but that doesn't count. Hey, I need my paycheck like all of you do, and I am terrified. Any advice or support available? oh by the way, this patient is a known noncompliant and has frequently abused other nurses and throws temper tantrums often. However, I had not dealt with her and was unaware of this at the time. My mgr said well you are the only one she has ever made a complaint against. I really wanted to tell her that maybe I was the only one who identified myself by name. But I held my tongue.

[nursinghumor]

Sounds like you need to consult with an attorney and countersue the patient. If you let your employer handle the situation, you'll end up getting fired and screwed.

If you spend the money to hire an attorney and let the patient know that they are going to be charged with among other things verbal abuse, assault, etc they may very well change their tune and decide to drop it all together.

What I would not do, is leave it in the hands of your manager to resolve. Management usually bends over backwards to appease patients at the expense of the nurse.

Protect your job, license and reputation, get an attorney. You might be able to find on sympathetic to your situation at:

The American Association of Nurse Attorneys:"TAANA serves as a resource network and support group for nurse attorneys and educates the public on matters of nursing, health care, and the law."
7794 Grow Drive Pensacola, FL 32514
Toll Free: 877-538-2262, Fax: 850/484-8762
Email: taana@puetzamc.com
http://www.taana.org/
************************************************** ****

Wish you luck, kindly keep us posted.

Andrew Lopez, RN
httop://www.nursefriendly.com

[marylou]

violence in the emergency room is a problem in israel too/ first we thougt people are violent because more than others we live in a violent country but it is not the major cause. i did a little research about this phenomena . to understand why people become violent against people that want to help them? that is the big question/ and i dont have THE solution but i am sure that nurse image and violence against nurses are in big correlation. people think that a nurse can support everything / like pain' death and everything ugly// so they can support violence too. people think that a nurse is " not important" and they dont have to respect her.it is part of her job
the difference is that in israel they cant tell you not to come to your work! the laws are very strong for the worker and in this case i think that the nurse had to explain and analyse why she got into such a situation and how can she improve her attitude in same case.

[Joshua]

I have been perusing this thread about violence toward nurses and I have a question.
I am a male and I have an extreme amount of patience and self control. I also boxed for quite a few years. If I am attacked by a patient and I mean seriously attacked at what point am I able to defend myself? If I am being pummeled or assaulted with a weapon by a patient and cannot get away would I be fired for punching and possibly knocking the violent patient unconscience and/or causing even more harm to them than what they originally came to the ER for? I hate even thinking about it but the "what-if"scenarios do sometimes happen.
Has anything like this happened before? Nurses fighting back?

[medi]

Joshua I don't think being a nurse means you give up the right to defend yourself when being attacked. I do think anyone in that position has a duty to theirself to do what they can in self defense -- trying to do what's necessary without overdoing though. I guarantee you if I was being attacked I'd do whatever I could to defend myself!

I have been perusing this thread about violence toward nurses and I have a question.
I am a male and I have an extreme amount of patience and self control. I also boxed for quite a few years. If I am attacked by a patient and I mean seriously attacked at what point am I able to defend myself? If I am being pummeled or assaulted with a weapon by a patient and cannot get away would I be fired for punching and possibly knocking the violent patient unconscience and/or causing even more harm to them than what they originally came to the ER for? I hate even thinking about it but the "what-if"scenarios do sometimes happen.
Has anything like this happened before? Nurses fighting back?

[weekend driver]

hi there . i could not read this without writing a reply .
i think that there should be legislation for severe punisment by the authorities for the assaulting of a medical team like it exists for assault of police officers .
you can't punch a person in the face , get medical treatment and get away with it under excuse that agression is you way of coping with stress \ pain or whatever .

[AAINME]

i am an icu RN my husband is an er RN ..he just had his license suspended by the louisiana state board for being to rough with a patient that was confused and combative with meningitis....we are lost and afraid... my husband is a kind and gentle man....any advice would be appreciated......laura

[clemshady]

hello all,

My primary experience (read just out of school) was in an urban ER, level II trauma center. Routinely we would relieve patients and visitors of firearms and edged weapons. The administration seemed to be completely oblivious to the danger to staff and patients. Of 80 nurses, all but a few found new jobs in safer environments. Currently if there is no metal detector and no ARMED security I will not work for a hospital. Psych patients, career alcholics, and others whose medical condition would render thier ability to maintain control useless all subject us to unwarranted attention. As soon as the "ambulance chaser" attorneys key in on this situation it will become worse. Personally I am afraid for my license. I come to work for the 10-15% that actually need help, it is what make my job worthwhile.

I have heard.... could be rumor, that it is a felony for assaulting a health care provider in an emergent situation. Is this true or false?

my 2 cents worth,

clem

[AmandaWIRN]

I know that in Wisconsin it is a felony to assault a healthcare worker- I had the police bring in an intoxicated man for medical clearance before going to jail, and he spit at me. The officers then charged him with assault of a healthcare worker in addition to whatever he had been going to jail for in the first place... In regards to the nurse above who may lose her job over the patient filing a false report against her, I would contact an attorney and see if it is possible to sue this patient for libel &/or slander. It makes me so mad that losers who have nothing better to do than be "professional patients" in the ER can get away with potentially ruining the career of someone who was only doing her job & trying to help them.