DUmmie attacks on ER nurses on the rise.

[thundley4]

underpants   (1000+ posts)             Mon Aug-16-10 09:10 PM
Original message
Attacks on ER Nurses on the Rise
   
I read an article on this in the Roanoke paper on Sunday. Very disturbing development.

http://www.aolhealth.com/2010/08/11/attacks-on-er-nurse... /

"The emergency room is a high-risk area to be assaulted," says Debra Bibartolo, a member of New York State Emergency Nurses Association Government Affair Committee and AOL Health's nursing specialist. "Nurses get hit. It's reality."

The New York bill is one of many throughout the country that would make an attack on a nurse a felony charge instead of a misdemeanor, which is much needed due to an upswing in the number of ER nurses being assaulted, the Associated Press reports.

Drug and alcohol addicts, as well as mentally unstable patients, are turning to the emergency rooms in time of need and in an environment where the patient always comes first, these nurses are putting themselves at risk every day.

The AP reports that, according to the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, drug- and alcohol-related emergency room visits have increased from about 1.6 million in 2005 to almost two million in 2008. During those same two years the number of those visits that turned violent increased by more than 5,000.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x8958677

Heddi    (1000+ posts)           Mon Aug-16-10 09:15 PM
Response to Original message
1. I'm an ER RN. I got kicked in the babymaker last week.
   
Violent patient kicks me and *I* have to take a drug test ***JUST FOR FILLING OUT PAPERWORK*** I was never seen (I chose not to be). Just filling out the incident report makes me take a piss test. The guy that kicked me in the uterus---meh, no big deal...even though cops were standing there when he did it. No arrest, no charges....

If I had a dollar for every time I was physically, verbally, or sexually assaulted, I'd be a very rich woman.

Warpy   (1000+ posts)             Mon Aug-16-10 09:52 PM
Response to Reply #3
8. Management, stuck on themselves and their customer service model
   
of health care, actively discourage health care workers from filing incident reports, let alone pressing charges.

One of my colleagues was fired for pressing charges against a patient who punched her full in the face and fractured her orbit.

He said he liked punching women. Nice guy.

And they wonder why 50% of licensed RNs have quit due to working conditions.

Heddi    (1000+ posts)           Mon Aug-16-10 10:58 PM
Response to Reply #3
14. Sadly I won't be an RN in Washington again until 3 weeks from now. FL has no such law
   
if they did I'm sure we'd be even more discouraged from filing reports than we already are. Management *really* doesn't care if we get assaulted. They do care if we try to file a report or press charges.We might make the company look bad. And no, there's no Unionization out here. FL is an at-will state. So they can fire me, legally, no reason. Of course the reason is that I filled out an incident report because I got kicked in the ****ing abdomen, but they don't have to give a reason, and I have the burden of proof that I was fired wrongly (note: I was not fired, just illustrating that it would be very easy for me to).

How is reporting a violent attack from a patient going to make the hospital look bad? WTF?

nadinbrzezinski   (1000+ posts)             Mon Aug-16-10 10:46 PM
Response to Reply #1
13. You know here is the difference between the US   
   
and Mexico.

As a paramedic I got assaulted by a lovely patient using a nice... broken bottle at a bar. In self defense I used my mag light... wasn't pretty.

He wanted to charge me for assault. The DA pointed out that they'd be willing to overlook the charges on him, since I did manage to break a couple bones in SELF DEFENSE.

Another chap pulled a gun on me. He did 20 just for that one. Add the rest of the charges, like DUI, and manslaughter.

cynatnite (1000+ posts)             Mon Aug-16-10 09:26 PM
Response to Original message
4. I was an ER Tech and was hit in the face once...
   
Another time a patient went after one of the nurses and it took several of us to get a handle on him. We had no cops around that night.

It can get dangerous.

Texasgal   (1000+ posts)           Mon Aug-16-10 09:39 PM
Response to Original message
7. A former triage nurse here..
   
Violence happened to me 3 times during my seven year run.

One of those times required stitches to my upper left eye lid.

We get shat upon more times than people know, even now in private practice ( as a surgical nurse ) I cannot tell you how many family members have become verbally and physically violent!

cynatnite (1000+ posts)             Mon Aug-16-10 10:00 PM
Response to Reply #7
10. I had a drunk guy ball up his fist like he was going to lay me out...
   
His brother had a MI at a party. Half the family was intoxicated. Fortunately, a cop showed up and he back down.

My mother says I defend health care workers too much, but I worked as an aide, a medic, an EMT, and an ER tech for a very long time. I know how hard that work is and what it takes to do it. Nurses are tough as nails.

I do think nurses should be treated as valuable as we treat our vets. 

WolverineDG   (1000+ posts)             Mon Aug-16-10 09:59 PM
Response to Original message
9. If an ER nurse comes at me with a syringe full of penicillin
   
AFTER I've told her I'm allergic to it, I will do whatever I feel is necessary to protect myself. That shit can kill me. I actually had one argue with me about it the last time I had to go to the ER. Do they actually teach nurses to tell patients they're crazy if they think they're allergic to penicillin now?

dg

Who knew so many DUmmies were in the healthcare field.  Are they in for a surprise when Obamacare fully comes into affect and cuts their pay.  Of course, most DUmmies are only in the field for the benefits, like closeness to drugs.

[JohnnyReb]

Why do I think all those violent patients are "Obama Voters"?

[Ralph Wiggum]

Warpy   (1000+ posts)             Mon Aug-16-10 09:52 PM
Response to Reply #3
8. Management, stuck on themselves and their customer service model
   
of health care, actively discourage health care workers from filing incident reports, let alone pressing charges.

One of my colleagues was fired for pressing charges against a patient who punched her full in the face and fractured her orbit.

He said he liked punching women. Nice guy.

And they wonder why 50% of licensed RNs have quit due to working conditions.

It goes without saying, but Warpy is incredibly freaking stupid.  That's one of the dumbest posts I've ever seen, and I've been reading the DUmp for a LONG time.

Um, Warpy?  I work for a health care organization.  Not only are employees encouraged to file incident reports, you can get fired for not doing so.

[JohnnyReb]

As a lab tech, my sister worked the ER...I have coffee in the mornings with a hospital security guard...boy! ...some of the stories they tell.

You know something, some of those people that show up at the hospital showing their ass should be put out of their misery....put down like the animals they are.

[Carl]

WolverineDG   (1000+ posts)             Mon Aug-16-10 09:59 PM
Response to Original message
9. If an ER nurse comes at me with a syringe full of penicillin
   
AFTER I've told her I'm allergic to it, I will do whatever I feel is necessary to protect myself. That shit can kill me. I actually had one argue with me about it the last time I had to go to the ER. Do they actually teach nurses to tell patients they're crazy if they think they're allergic to penicillin now?

dg

No one in their right mind would believe that...in my very limited hospital experience every nurse or doc that touches you is reading your chart and asking the same questions over and over.

Sheesh how do they make up such drivel? 

[true_blood]

Who knew so many DUmmies were in the healthcare field.  Are they in for a surprise when Obamacare fully comes into affect and cuts their pay.  Of course, most DUmmies are only in the field for the benefits, like closeness to drugs.

HA HA!!!

[Ralph Wiggum]

Sheesh how do they make up such drivel? 

I suspect they're just trying to build their "DUmmy street cred".

[Carl]

I suspect they're just trying to build their "DUmmy street cred".

Went to look and one of the mysteries of the island...no one called them on such complete nonsense.
If that had been posted here all of us would have said BS.
I have never once seen a medical professional whether it be the person taking the paper work from you at the desk to the physician that hasn`t been overly careful to protect themselves and me from any accident happening.

[Karin]

I think the penicillin guy posted that just to pick a fight.  How they squabble over there!  On nearly every thread.

[Ralph Wiggum]

I have never once seen a medical professional whether it be the person taking the paper work from you at the desk to the physician that hasn`t been overly careful to protect themselves and me from any accident happening.

Exactly.  I'm in the finance area, but even we are required to take monthly courses on patient care, etc.  It's very intensive stuff too.

[cottondress]

That ER nurse ought to work in a nursing home setting for  awhile and she would stop her whinning. I did for many years...Ive been punched...kicked...spit (and every other bodily fluid) on. Called names I did not even know existed. Of course those people did not know what they were doing and we all just took it as a job risk. I loved my job and ,even all those that hurt me,with all my heart.Not so sure I would be so forgiving of a drug addict but you must know who and what your dealing with.

[DefiantSix]

Not that long ago, I would work day labor whenever I was in between projects.  One job I was on for a couple of days was for a hospital up here in Northern Colorado, where we installed a couple of padded cells in the Emergency Room because crap like this was becoming more frequent.  The local PD also keeps a couple of officers on station at the ER there, 24/7 to back up the hospital security staff when needed.

BTW, this is NOT a "ghetto" hospital, that needed to take these precautions.  It is actually in one of the nicer areas of a university (looney-versity?) town.

[Doc Savage]

When I worked in a small Naval Hospital on the east cost, a Nurse in the ER was punched by a patient.  She was a Lieutenant, and the patient was a civilian.  The civilian was arrested by base police.  The next time I saw her is when I was in the federal courtroom as a witness for the prosecution in Baltimore at her trial. 

Little bit different in a military setting.

However, sometimes, when people are high or have mental issues, things happen.  I think it needs to be a case by case basis, and alcohol and drugs are not an excuse. 

[diesel driver]

Went to look and one of the mysteries of the island...no one called them on such complete nonsense.
If that had been posted here all of us would have said BS.
I have never once seen a medical professional whether it be the person taking the paper work from you at the desk to the physician that hasn`t been overly careful to protect themselves and me from any accident happening.

My wife and her ex used to be EMTs, in a rough county in southern West Virginia.  One of the EMTs code sentences was "Is your 'friend' going with you?", or "Do you have your 'friend' with you?"

Wife's "friend" was a 9mm Glock.

[diesel driver]

That ER nurse ought to work in a nursing home setting for  awhile and she would stop her whinning. I did for many years...Ive been punched...kicked...spit (and every other bodily fluid) on. Called names I did not even know existed. Of course those people did not know what they were doing and we all just took it as a job risk. I loved my job and ,even all those that hurt me,with all my heart.Not so sure I would be so forgiving of a drug addict but you must know who and what your dealing with.

My wife HATES drunks with a passion!  I think it has to do with her father being a raging alcoholic.  She told me that whenever they had to work a car wreak, EMTs would use duct tape across the forehead to secure the head to the backboard, in case of a neck or spinal injury.  If the driver was intoxicated or high, she placed the tape across the eyebrows.   

She said she did that as payback because (insert favorite expletive here) got her out of her warm bed on a cold night.