“He was aggressive, confrontational. But more than that, his voice had an edge to it that, I’ll reluctantly admit, scared me.”

 

The above quote is from a New York Times Well blog post by Theresa Brown, R.N., describing a patient she was assigned that, it turns out, had a history of being violent in hospitals.

 

Brown, an author and Board Member of the Center for Health Media and Policy at the Bellevue School of Nursing, uses the remainder of the column to discuss the point at which a nurse’s personal safety comes before her job.

 

‘Safe’ becomes a mantra that embodies a set of values,” she writes, “and ‘that’s not safe’ is a warning phrase among nurses that can address staffing issues, medication questions, or decisions like whether a patient should be allowed to stroll to another floor, because he is frail or easily confused, or because of the IV medication he is getting.

 

With this patient I felt personally threatened—unsafe—which made me feel scarily distracted.

 

The issue of nurse safety was recently thrust into headlines after reports of nurse abuse by Robert F. Kennedy’s son, Douglas.

 

At the end of her column, Brown recounts that while it’s obviously a nurse’s job to take care of his or her patient—that care can be compromised when a nurse feels she is in danger.

 

“After all,” Brown concludes, “it’s my job to take care of patients, to keep them safe—this patient included. But I discovered it’s very hard to do that if I don’t feel safe myself.”

 

How hard is it for you to admit that you can’t handle a particular case on the job?

lalababy, I guess the worst/weirdest thing was a patient's false teeth.. Apparently, the call button wasn't working...Umfff.. Teresa    

chicago onurse, I do agree with you, but I can't help think that, then there is the real world..I don't think the patients read the article.. Teresa

chicagonurse, I am aware of the new laws..I hope it's reinerated to the patients on admission.. that shoud cut down on a few acts of abuse.. Thanks for posting your opinion on the forum.. Teresa

chicago,  Thanks... I wondered i you had any expierence with this kind of patient?  Would you like to share ? I certainly have had this in the ER.. Teresa

chigonurse, 1st of all it is true.. I think it's because patients are in alot of pain and are on drugs, Also they can be  very frightened about their comdition.. Usually they can be descalated but if not, it's restaints to the rescue until they calm down usually from being medicated.. Yes, it does happen.. Teresa

chicagonurse, Hiya... I worked in the ER for 20 years because I loved the trauma...(Trauma Junkie-that's me) but I really think every department, floor is equally as hard.. I find that the floor nurses are angels because they do the same thing mostly day in and day out. I like a variety of events, but I think we all have our drothers..Teresa