PLEASE EXPLAIN IF YOU ANSWERED YES TO THE POLL QUESTION .

Before I say anything I have to say the greater majority of clients in mental health are not violent.
Yet, one of the problems in mental health is that some clients do not have insight into their presenting illness and may have been admitted under the Mental Health Act. They may not see that they are a risk to themselves or others or that their thoughts are based upon delusions. Yet they are still restricted by the law from leaving the hospital. This puts members of the team and especailly Nurses in a negative light by the client. Many of us recieve verbal abuse and occasionally we are hit. We are the ones with the most contact with the client (24/7) and the ones who have to enforce the act even if a Doctor and a Social worker may have written the section papers. Its not nice sometimes.

I was attacked on the job (hospital). A code NP (patient out of control) was called for the psych ward. I ran to that floor and as soon as I entered, I was attacked by the patient - trying to escape. I was not injured and the patient was returned to the ward (in seclusion).

I WORKED IN A TRAUMA ICU FOR OVER 9 YRS.. IVE BEEN SLAPPED IN THE FACE SEVERAL TIMES AND IVE BEEN KICKED COUNTLESS TIMES..ONCE EVEN IN THE THROAT.. MY ARM HAS ALMOST BEEN BROKEN OFF I COULD GO ON AND ON.. BUT IM SURE YOU GET THE PICTURE....

NAWLINSGIRL

Yes, I am aware also that many Nurses get hit and injured working in casualty too. Nurses there often have to deal with the impatient, aggressive person, drunk or drug addict wanting a fix. Again, because Nurses have the greatest contact, they are the ones most hit or verbally abused.

while working in the ED, on several occasions patients would become combative and lash out at the nursing staff. This would include hitting, kicking, biting etc..

Sadly nurses take a lot of abuse and it is seen as part of the job. Over the years, I have been distressed at the hitting, kicking, biting I've seen go on...and the management team frequently blames the nurse for it, not the patient. And too often, the patient is 'not in their right mind' or can make a case for that, so we have no recourse. If we call the police we can lose our jobs in an at will state without any protections. But..if I was ever seriously injured, I WOULD call the police. Up to now, just bruises thank goodness.

I have seen nurses badly injured by psych patients on medical wards, where behavioral restraints were not considered necessary, and the nurses were not quick enough in obtaining chemical restraints. .

yes I have been injured on the job. Once on a travel assignment, I suffered a greenstick fracture from an elderly gentleman in a posey restraint. He woke up in the middle of the night believing the hospital was on fire and that I would not let him out. He grabbed my arm, twisted it until it snapped, then just let go. Ended up in a cast for eight weeks. Spent the first two of them back at home on paid leave. Thank goodness. The poor old guy didn't even remember it the next morning when I went back to check on him before leaving after I got out of the emergency room.

Hello !

There was no serious injury on me until now, but there where a lot of assaults during my work-shifts.
Once , as I worked in a psychiatric hospitak, we had to calm down an 18 years old patient, 1m90 high and 220 (or more) pounds heavy man. He was very aggressive, and we needed 4 man to hld him. A lot of stria, a shredded shirt and a lot of headache was the result.

Yes we all have been there. My worse experience was when an uncontrolled female was brought into ER. We had 5 large security men and 2 female nurses besides myself in room tring to get her in restraints. She managed to get one foot loose and it just had to be the one near me. She kicked me in the side of my face and knocked me across the exam room. I saw stars for quiet awhile. Face bruised and eys swollen. What made me the madest was I had just purchased a new pair of glasses at $600 dollars. Glasses went one way I went the other. I was so mad. I finished helping them restrain her and tied my leg a littler tighter then the others of course, then went to be checked by ER Doc. Things happen.

The verbal abuse we all get. It is not fun but we can tune it out.

Sadly the abuse front line staff are now facing here in the UK is on the increase. However, here in the UK our NHS has a Zero Tolerance policy where by we can take action against those patients that to cross the line and attack staff. We can now ban persistant patients from a hospital and refused to provide all by emergency care.

It makes patients think when they are suddenly faced with no hospital to be treated in.

as an emergency dept nurse,
I have been

verbally abused
spat on,
hit at (but have got out the way most times)
scratched

emergency dept's in Australia have a zero tolerance to abuse and this is signposted in the waiting room. it states that police will be called to all physical and verbal abuse of staff

i was punched as a student by an elderly patient who was confused (which i could totally forgive because they didn't know what they were doing) but i can gladly say its the only time i have been attacked physically. Probably because most of the patients i come in contact with are under anaesthetic or sedated, but i know of quite alot of nurses especially those working in a+e who get attacked quite alot, its so wrong but unfortunately part of the job. People dont seem to respect nurses anymore?

While working as a "correctional nurse" at a state pen, I was pushed, shoved and had one convicted felon attempt to stab me with a used insulin syringe!! I was one of the lucky ones....believe it or not, I was well-liked and well-respected by many of the felons compared to other nurses there!!

I have never been injured but my life has been threatened. One person was very serious in her threat so that was the last time I had any dealings with her. I was protected by my fellow nurses. I still have no idea what caused her anger against me. She was told she had to apologize to me but of course she never did.

Such is the life of a nurse. I don't think that the public realizes what we go through sometimes.

Sorry but I am trying to figure out HOW to use your system as I am totally new~ I wrote an entire letter here explaining why I said yes about being physically attacked but have 'misplaced' it in cyberspace here. Bare with me please as I try to learn how to use this~ Meg


Not only was I attacked on the job but I sustained a few abrasions & contusions and an injury to my right elbow that is still giving me trouble a year later. Although I am not actually a nurse I was an EMT, volunteer fire fighter & a nurses aide in my past and am still in the health care field. I was preparing to go to go to school to become a massage therapist right before I got injured. I was going to continue on as a residential aide while attending school as my hours would fit perfectly together. Although I have made a report of my attack, I did not press charges as the 5'11, 279 lb. woman (who has hurt others before I guess & even bragged about it) is a very HIGH FUNCTIONING 'developmentally disabled' individual. It wouldn't be right? Part of the job? I am struggling to this day with many issues because of the attack on me & feel it is beyond time to do SOMETHING about it so that others don't have to endure all the pain (physically, mentally & now financially) that I have had to deal with since being injured. I came to this forum to get a little advice on HOW to proceed at this point. I have been contemplating contacting Oprah or Dr. Phil to see if they might be able & WILLING to help me get this nightmare of a story out to the public so that HOPEFULLY others don't have to endure what I have gone through, but I'm not sure that I am up to the job of explaining BRIEFLY what the problems & issues are, as this entire ordeal has taken quite a toll on me. On top of the physical & mental anguish, I was terminated from my job for using up my FMLA so my benefits & health insurance stopped immediately & my financial life is also in ruins along with the career choice I had made before the attack. The insurance company has not been cooperative at all either, as my employer told them I had refused work even though I just proved that I actually requested light duty work from the beginning!!! I did not deserve or ask for any of this but yet I am having to live through this nightmare every single day because of the pain & numbness in my arm. I have been back to work with a new company for a month now but I am in pain all the time & don't know how long I can handle it as it keeps me up at night. I need to work as I am a single mom and we need to survive, but it is killing me!!! I live in the country & have no support system up to this point and actually came on line to see about possibly developing a group of people that have been or are in my same predicament. New York is an 'at will' state and your employer can discard of you any time for ANY reason. It is totally wrong that a person has to possibly lose their home, their sanity & maybe even their life because of laws like this or ins. companies being able to file appeals on monies owed the worker, etc. etc. I typed in the words 'attacked on the job' and your web site came up. I am praying that I will receive some feedback to my turmoil & hopefully some answers too here on your message board. I truly need HELP! Thank you for taking your time reading my post. Time to fight back?

HI,

I WAS PHYSICALLY ATTACKED ON THE JOB LAST YEAR BY A 82 YEAR OLD DEMENTED PATIENT. WHILE THIS WAS OCCURING, THE STAFF I WAS WORKING WITH STOOD THERE AND WATCHED AFTER I REPEATELY ASKED FOR HELP. THE STAFF DIDNT EVEN KNOW HOW TO CALL HOSPITAL SECURITY, THEY CALLED THE POLICE DEPT 2 CITIES OVER FROM WHERE I WAS LOCATED IN WHICH DELAYED THE ASSISTANCE I NEEDED.

THE RESULT OF THAT ATTACK LED TO SURGERY ON MY HAND DUE TO A COMPRESSED NERVE IN MY WRIST PLUS BRUISED RIBS. I WAS OUT OF WORK FOR OVER 8 MONTHS. I WAS TOLD I DONT HAVE ANY RECOURSE BECAUSE I DIDNT DIRECTLY WORK FOR THAT HOSPITAL DUE TO MY TRAVEL NURSE STATUS. SO I BASICALLY HAD TO LIVE ON A PERCENTAGE OF MY INCOME.

THE HOSPITAL INFORMED ME THAT THE STAFF WOULD BE RETRAINED IN CASE OF FUTURE EMERGENCIES. IT WAS OF LITTLE COMFORT TO ME DUE TO THE FACT THAT IT WAS A LITTLE LATE IN HELPING ME WHEN I NEEDED IT. I RECEIVED NO COMPHENSATION FOR THE 8 MONTHS THAT I WAS OUT OF WORK OR MY PAIN AND SUFFERING DUE TO THE INJURY THAT I RECEIVED FROM THAT ATTACK AND LET ME ADD THAT MY HAND WILL NEVER BE THE SAME. I LIVE IN PAIN BUT I STILL HAVE TO GET OUT THERE AND WORK.

I DONT THINK PEOPLE KNOW WHAT NURSES ENDURE. MANY PEOPLE LOOK AT OUR INCOME AND WONDER WHY DO WE GET PAID SO MUCH. I KNOW WE EARN EVERY PENNY FOR WHAT WE HAVE TO ENDURE WHILE WORKING.

Yes I have been kicked in the shin, bit on my arm, bum pinched. But I also have to say I work in a long term care facility and saw it coming, but couldn't move out of the way fast enough. I was never seriously hurt or in pain. I always, for the most part, can see an agitated resident and Know to stay the heck away from them, until they calm down! Anyways I see WAYYYYYYYY too often other care providers trying to do personal care on agitated residents and they get hurt time and time again. When will they learn to just stay the heck away from them, that's all you can do!

Julie