Fuck!! Do Over - Workplace Violence.

[Dean from Australia]

Last night whilst working in the adult ICU, I had the shit beaten out of me by a patient.

The patient has a septic infection and it has caused him to become disoriented and co.fused. But no one was prepared for him to lash out. I was about to administer an antibiotic via his central venous catheter and he literally blew up - grabbing me in a head lock and landing a flurry of punches to my chest, shoulder, face and arms. As I tried to pull away he dropped me like a bag of shit with a punch to my ribs just under my heart. The loud crack that issued as I fell said it all. To add insult to injury, the patient pulled out his central line causing blood to start pissing everywhere and as I got to my feet and called a Code! I had to pull my shit together an slam a hand on the side of his neck to stop the bleeding, suffering more abuse and hits.

Once the team got in and restrained the patient, I was taken to the ER and examined and X rayed. I scored a broken rib and contusions to my chest wall and shoulder as well as a few cuts and scrapes elsewhere.

I was sent home. I feel pretty awful and I'm jumping at shadows. This is the second time I've been assaulted in 6 months and I'm beginning to fear that if I get assaulted again, I could well end up a basket case. I've been an ICU Nurse for 10 years (a Registered Nurse for 15) and I fear I'm hitting the wall.

How do I get through this? Any advice? Any war stories of your own?

[marina]

Go see a counselor. Try a couple, if you don't like one, cut them loose and find another. It sounds like you've suffered some trauma and could use some help in working through that.

[Jo_Culprit]

Self defence classes Dean.

There are places that teach straight out self defence or you can do it through some of the more circular grappling martial arts like Jujitsu and Hapkido.

The first thing you start learning is not to hesitate and to have confidence to handle yourself in violent situations. You become desensitized and are able to think and make decisions clearer. After that you learn how to how analyze the situation and consider things like striking distance, balance and the opponents attacking trajectory.

After about 3 months of lessons about twice a week I think you'd feel leagues more capable in a fight than you are now.

[Sparrow]

sweetfuckingshit, dean. *HUGS*

[FletchLives]

Damn, what an awful situation to be in. I hear a lot of stories from nurses about how a patient threw shit at them, or tried to jump through a window, but this is fucking terrible.
I'm not trying to throw focus here, but I wonder how that guy is going to feel when he's in a clear head and is told what he did.

[picard102]

My mom was a nurse, until someone strung out decided they need into the drug room. She locked the door to the drugs, but then he just picked her up and slamed her against the door handle, hitting her spine.

Nothing multiple surgeries, rods, screws, and daily pain med's can't fix though.

Are you able to take action against patients in Aus? Like pressing charges or suing?

[Keith]

Originally Posted by Jo_Culprit

Self defence classes Dean.

There are places that teach straight out self defence or you can do it through some of the more circular grappling martial arts like Jujitsu and Hapkido.

The first thing you start learning is not to hesitate and to have confidence to handle yourself in violent situations. You become desensitized and are able to think and make decisions clearer. After that you learn how to how analyze the situation and consider things like striking distance, balance and the opponents attacking trajectory.

After about 3 months of lessons about twice a week I think you'd feel leagues more capable in a fight than you are now.

Jesus, Jo. Do you understand he was stopping the bleeding AS he was taking punches?

I say bring a gun to work. You can never be too careful.

But seriously, self-medicate. You didn't hear it here.

[FletchLives]

You don't have to carry a gun when in a hospital, just a thick pillow that doesn't breathe well.

[Dean from Australia]

I can usually handle myself pretty well and probably don't see any value in self defense classes. The thing is, I haven't had any recent education on how to handle patients in violent situations and policies relating to what you can and cannot do differ across different work sites. You gotta be careful because you don't want to get into a situation where you yourself can be sued.

As for pressing charges against the patient for injuries caused - well, we have a government funded worker's compensation fund which covers workers in situations of workplace injury - which in effect - this is what I experienced. But no amount of money or compensation can really help in dealing with the psychological effects of having the shit beaten out of you. The whole worker's compensation thing though renders one unable to sue in these cases.

I am seeing a therapist who specializes in this sort of trauma and she's really good. I expect that when I do see her, she'll give me that perspective that I probably require.

As for the gun - fuck, security guards in our country aren't even allowed to carry side arms in a hospital so, I damn sure I wouldn't be allowed to. A good switch blade though...hmmmm. I've been dosing myself up on coediene and ibuprofen since the incident and catching up on day time TV. I don't know which is worse - getting assaulted by a patient or watching Oprah re-runs.

I'm having a major beef with our state legislature right now about the gross under resourcing of our public hospitals. They deny that there is any problem whatsoever yet, across the entire system, there is evidence of staff routinely working double shifts (upwards of 20 hours at a time), staff like me getting abused or assaulted and staff burning out both physically and mentally. It's a cyclical thing I'm told. I guess I'm in the middle of the fucking cycle...

[campy]

Jeeesus,

*gentle hugs* poor you Dean :-(

If I were in your shoes I would take any work mans comp that would be coming my way to regroup. I would consider carefully if this were the kind of environment I feel comfortable working in and if the answer was "not anymore" I would leave the position. I know it is stressful to do that but it is a short term stress to prevent long term trauma working in this kind of violent situation. You can be a nurse in all sorts of places that don't put you in such harms way.

If you decide to stay I might consider taking the event to the bosses at the hospital where you are working to enforce changes to the security levels at the ICU. You needed back up and fast. There needs to be a better system, more eyes watching, to protect the staff.

Talk things through with your friends, family, in here...where ever you need to.

And thank you for the work you do. Nurses are the equivalent to angels in my mind.