VIOLENCE AGAINST NURSES | Break Room Chat No. 1
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- Опубликовано: 2 июл 2024
- Violence in nursing. It happens. We don’t like to talk about it, many of us have accepted it as “part of our jobs”, and it seems like too large a problem to tackle most days. But if we never talk about it, we will never tackle it. This video is the first in a series of conversation I’m hoping to have about the hard things. The things we don’t like to talk about. The things that are so important, but tend to get pushed under the rug. Nurses experience violence at the work place every single day, but we never really hear about that. I’m hoping to start the conversation, or at least contribute in some small way. In this video I share my experiences of violence in my workplace as a nurse and nurse practitioner. I’d be so grateful if you shared yours as well, or even if you just listen. We can tackle this if we accept that it is happening, and let others in on what we deal with on a day to day basis.
If you are new here, Hello! I’m Liz, a Family Nurse practitioner, former pediatric nurse, and new(ish) mom. I’m about to start my new career, and plan to share it with all of you!
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Hell to the motherfuckin no. I’m an RN at a hospital in Detroit and you better believe I would be calling the police to file charges if someone swung and hit me with an IV pole. I’ve been a nurse for just a little over 2 years on an adult cardiovascular floor and thankfully haven’t had to deal with verbal or physical violence on this level. Regardless of disease state, violence on that level is unacceptable. Someone chasing you with SCISSORS?!? Another criminal offense. We shouldn’t just “take it” because this behavior is completely unacceptable.
The police were involved with both of those. 😞 Nothing happened. It was really frustrating. I’m glad it’s been less like this for you! Couldn’t agree more with not just taking it!
Side note, you should totally do TED talks Liz. Man, you're really good at speaking! I just watched a 25 minute video ALL THE WAY THROUGH! Like what?! I am so sorry you have had such bad experiences at your JOB!! I would have broken down on so many occasions, so kudos to you and every other nurse/health care professional who has been through these "situations" and continued on!
wow thanks! And I have definitely had my fair share of breakdowns. It absolutely got easier to kinda cope with because like I had said I just sort of got used to it. But I still have many hard days. Thank you for the encouragement! And sorry the video was so long 😂I kept trying to trim it down and failing 😑
I agree she has the most soothing voice
I'd watch that.
I am still in nursing school, but I experienced a lot of violence when I was working as a CNA in my local nursing home. :/ it was a sad experience because a lot of these patients didn't know what they were doing within their limited mental capacity. Two times really stood out to me.
Time #1: long story short (and sorry for the lack of details...HIPAA and all); a patient one time corned me in his room and punched me so hard in the face I was slammed against the door, got knocked out, fell....and split my head open on the ground. This happened a week before my senior prom so I wasn't able to attend the after prom due to a severe concussion. It was a horrible experience and now every time I am alone in a room with a patient I get nervous. I just feel so bad for people like this.
Time #2: I used to work overnight shifts in my nursing home when I first started. It was the first 6 months after I became a CNA and I was about to be a junior in high school (not super important, but I was young and pretty inexperienced). As a CNA on the nightshift, there was only two other staff members in the building so you are pretty much alone. I went into a patient's room during my 2am rounds and this confused gentleman thought I was his wife. He pulled me on top of him and was attempting to kiss me and remove my pants. As a 230 pound patient....he was obviously stronger than me. thank goodness for pagers. I hit the pager over and over and was yelling for help and my fellow male CNA came running in and saved me. I was so so lucky that he happened to be grabbing more wipes from a nearby closet. Because the patient was confused nothing could be done and Ill probably never forget this. Just was fortunate enough to escape.
Sorry for the long stories...just never really talked about this before! It's comforting to know that there are fellow nurses (students too) who have my back. I love you all.
Taylar I am so sorry that you have dealt with this so much. thank you for sharing your experiences, so that we can raise awareness on this and show that it is happening to SO MANY. Best of luck with the rest of your program!
I'm so sorry this happened to you. Thank God your coworker was near by and there was a pager. OMG!
I am so sorry that happened to you 😞😢
Wow
No words are enough. I feel for you and appreciate nurses all the more.
My mother nurse Mommy, usually gave it to me straight and she said patients sometimes will hit you!!! An you CAN NOT HIT THEM BACK!!! I took her warnings to heart. Then when she was dying from kidney failure, she was the patient and the nurse supposedly "caring" for her in the hospital, hit my mother in the head with a bed pan!!! So although I strongly feel your video is addressing the dark side of a profession just as I never see or hear anything about the physical demands and toll/damage & injuries nurses experience to their bodies, I strongly & firmly believe that abuse of authority is becoming all to rampant and real in medical facilities and more & more health care workers are taking their stress out on patients and hitting them, abusing them. My mother told me you are NEVER to hit a patient or anyone, NEVER!!! An it broke my heart that a trusted nurse did that to a veteran nurse!!! I wanted to be the kind of health care that once was, that defined what CARE actually was, not this assembly line of lap tops and cold, corrupt callous individuals who had no business going into a dedication of compassion & tireless care.
What the hell?!? Nurses are what make your hospital stay great! I wouldn't have been able to get through the most horrid times in my sickness without great nurses- a chronically ill patient who loves y'all to bits❤
We appreciate patients like you ❤️
I had a 100 year old Alzheimer’s patient who was flinging her walker at me yelling you SOB,(using the real words) and I kept telling her I am not short of breath but thank you for being concerned. I had to using humor a lot of the time to get through it.
Not a funny situation. But I did giggle haha
😂👌
How would a nurse avoid getting stabbed with an IV? The thought of getting infected with Hep C and HIV is very scary!
Suggestions anyone?
Nurse Liz,
I am so glad you are taking the time to shed light on the dark side of nursing! I agree this is a topic that we do not speak about and we don't take the time to teach or warn others. I have experienced violence, patients yelling racial slurs at me ( the patient was a " skin head" and had tattoos of black men being hanged on his chest, yes... nightmare but i was nice no matter what and by the 5th day he was nice and even apologized ), throwing food trays at me ( orientated patient who was mad he was NPO and his tray arrived anyway) spitting medication at me. I have been an nurse for 26 years. In Oklahoma, we are having our nursing convention this month and we are having a panel discussion on workplace violence. I have worked at a hospital in Tulsa where the nurses got together and helped create a workplace violence policy and the environment did change. Hopefully this policy will spread nation wide. I am a grad student and I think we should prepare our students better, because it is a huge problem that is getting worse.
Oh wow. I’m so sorry! That is beyond words. Thank you for talking about it ❤️.
And that sounds super interesting! I’d love to know what they implemented to make it effective, I’ll have to keep my eye out for it! Thanks!
ruclips.net/video/Zs76OwgRfZI/видео.html
After having gone through kidney failure, dialysis, and transplant for the last 2 years, I feel the only thing that made it tolerable was the nurses. I was blown away by the compassion, kindness, and sweetness of so many of my nurses. I have a tremendous amount of respect for all of you. Thank you for all that you have done, are doing, and will do for your patients.
Oof I am so sorry you have gone through that. I hope things are going better for you now! You are what makes the job wonderful :)
I've had an oxygen tank throw at me, I've been punched in the face (the patient claimed they were having a seizure), bitten, spit on, pt's threatened to kill me and so much verbal abuse that I can't even remember it all. It is insane how much we are not protected and we have to lookout for each other because hospital management is not protecting us. My nursing program never warned us about it so it was so surprising the first time i happened, and the fact that the verbal abuse is almost just expected and that's not right. People always joke about how surly and mean ER nurses are and it is because we develop it as a defense mechanism to the horrible things people call us and say to us. This is such an important thing to talk about because it's just a silent culture that nurses are expected to just deal with. The most important thing is to tell someone talk about it don't take it home and let it fester, the culture will never change if we don't talk about it.
I feel like I could have written this myself. THANK YOU. thank you for sharing your experience and joining the conversation. But I am so sorry you have dealt with all of this. I cannot imagine being an ER nurse. I feel like you guys get the worst of the worst when it comes to violence. THank you for doing what you do and I hope this week is gentler to you.
And you are totally nail on the head with the silent culture. I didnt realize how little I even talked about this with people in my FAMILY. ugh.
I feel like ER tends to get a brunt of the violence, but I actually think it may be worse on units like you mentioned because while it does happen a lot in the ER we generally have security right in the ER and can help when things do go bad, but as you mentioned on other units they may not be able to show up until something has already gone wrong. I think the most important thing is to stress as you did nursing is an amazing career and I don't want to scare anyone away, but more make them aware it can happen, because when it first happened to me it was so overwhelming and because no one had warned/prepared me I felt like I did something wrong. We are taught that nurses are the most caring professional and are referred to as angels, but then we get treated like this it made me feel like i was a bad nurse like and that I had handled the situation wrong when in actuality the patients just act like this and it's considered the norm and that is the problem, this can't be the norm we don't allow this in any other profession we have to stand up against this and protect each other and the first step to that is speaking up and saying hey this is happening lets talk about how we can stop it, so thank you so this video I think it really is an important one.
Nikkifnp you have all the right words for this! Thank you for sharing them. You are so so right. This can’t be the norm, no other profession allows that
Oh my gosh! I had no idea this was such a big thing with nursing. I have been going back and forth between PA and Nursing to become a NP. To be honest this scares me a great deal. To think someone could stab me with a dirty needle. I mean I’ve considered the risks you take getting into any medical field. However, never thought of violence to this extent. Wow!
“Shift in power” you nailed it!! Abuse is unacceptable in every way! I’ve experienced it and currently am trying to figure a way to navigate it and master my words while being a primary care case manager. Verbal abuse happens daily! I am totally backed by my management to NOT tolerate to the point where I get to hang up the phone and offer them to call me back when they are in a better space to talk. I don’t do bedside nursing anymore and this is surely one reason. I pray this talk becomes viral. GO LIZ!!!!!!!!!! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
Thank you for your encouragement! I am sorry you have to deal with so much verbal abuse from patients and likely families. That is so hard and exhausting. Case managers amaze me. Thank you for doing what you do! And thanks for sharing your experience ❤️
ruclips.net/video/Zs76OwgRfZI/видео.html
Power shift? You mean you think you deserve power over people. No wonder why so many sexual assaults in that field🤬👿
@@lucreciarodriguez4074 ikr she sounds like a terrible person
Totally understand. I’m glad your management is supportive. Mine basically said I have no rights. Mine was written in the books. I looked. I had one text me a every morning to blame me for his life.
Didn’t skip the Ad so you can get them coins girl 💪🏼💯
You are a wonderful human, thanks girl!
I always sit through the ads of the folks I like, too! Make sure they get their money 💵
Wait! You don't get paid if viewers dont finish the ads? I didn't know that
Ads have ruined RUclips
@@nosequeponer654 Not when it's part of your income.
She's providing valuable information without asking us to pay for it.
Letting the Ads play while you scroll through the comments costs you nothing, and helps her out. :o)
Really great topic, not talked enough in nursing schools! As a nursing student i've experienced violence not only from patients, but also from their relatives. I cannot keep up with the amount of people yelling at me or at nurses because, in their opinion, we were not fast enough, or because the doctor was not available at the moment, or because we wouldn't run to their relative when they called us, even if we had just checked on them and made sure they were ok. This happens on the wards, but it happens especially in the A&E (or ER) or when people call the ambulance. There's always something we do wrong, in their opinion, even though we spend hours of our life providing care for our patients... We don't have only one patient to take care of, we have plenty of them. This is something that really upsets me. We should really work and educate people on this issue.
YES! I am so sorry you've experienced so much of this. I would imagine the Emergency department is on the forefront of receiving violence. Thank you for sharing your experience!
Hey Liz. This is a great topic. I work in psych so I am accustomed to working with a patient population that frequently displays violent behavior. I've definitely seen nurses be physically assaulted by patients numerous times. Unfortunately when that happens, you get the sense that there is nothing that can be done about it. I've felt helpless, and frustrated by the lack of support from hospital organizations. I wish there was something that we can do collectively.🤷🏽♀️
Agreed. I would imagine you see it SO much working in psych. I have so much respect for you all in that field! It is a tough one. Thanks for doing what you do.
I work as a cna at a hospital on a med surge floor as well. While some things cannot be controlled (a patient in an altered state for example) you absolutely should NOT just have to deal with a patient who is in their right frame of mind being violent towards you. This is something that needs to change.
SO agreed. Lets keep talking about it so we can make some change!
Absolutely
I am currently a private caregiver for a lady with Alzheimer's (about to start school for nursing!!) During our bedtime routine, she's sundowning and refuses to get undressed and take off her brief, she'll kick or hit me, ect. She's even strangled a caregiver before. It's really good to understand that when they're sundowning, they're really anxious and trying to be calm is sometimes the best thing you can do for them. Sometimes I'll wait 5 minutes, she'll forget and I'll come back with an extra perky attitude and it totally changes her demeanor. There's almost nothing you can say or do to let them know that what they're doing is not okay. But it's the disease , not them. I'm glad I can help her.
Fantastic subject. It is amazing how much of it is out there. Im a nurse tech and when I saw my nurse with a bloody nose I thought swat would be rolling in. Nope business went on as usual. I was stunned like seriously. Nothing? The scary thing is that my hospital puts me in sitter positions and I get kicked and swung at and threatened. I have no training that protects me from this just a CNA and nursing school. I hate being a sitter. It is like going into a boxing match.
And the hard thing about being a sitter is you are there to protect them form themselves it not like you have a chance to leave the room, the door is not in your side when you are sitting... in sorry this has happen to you.
Oh man, being a sitter is SO HARD. Being on the front line of pretty much every aggressive or impulsive patient would get so overwhelming. Crazy kudos to you. Do you see yourself doing that for much longer?
Laurel you are so right. That is such a hard and unappreciated role
I heard about being a sitter but it was promoted as being an easy job where nursing students could study for class in the room and get medical experience keeping an eye on a patient and occas. feeding them.
And this was without even being a CNA, only they called it something slightly diff
Liz. You are speaking the truth. Thank you for being a public voice for us. The violence is so real and there has to be accountability somewhere because we matter too.❤️
Thank you so much for talking about this! As a bedside nurse for over seventeen years this is all true! The violence, manipulation by patients and management more concerned about patient satisfaction scores. And what I also have seen is that if the nurse writes notes in the patients chart about any manipulation and or violence, the physical rehab/nursing homes read them and refuse the same patients after they are discharged from the hospital! So they in the hospital we have patients that are discharged but have nowhere to go because of their demeanor. I have been threatened, spit on, hit, kicked, and sexually molested! I agree with the things you suggested: buddy system(also to have as a witness), approach person in calm way, and have a door or something between you. I also will refuse to draw labs or stick a patient with a needle if I feel it's not safe. I will tell the doctor this and will have security physically retrain a patient to get iv or intramuscular sedatives if needed. Sorry not sorry. You are correct in that there are instances were all the therapeutic communication in the world will not help. When there are any possible risky situations I always warn my coworkers and notify the charge nurse. If need be I will escalate it up to the nursing supervisor, security, police, etc. Also, document, document, document! Please stay safe! 🙏 💕
I just got accepted into an ABSN program. I know that violence sometimes happens in healthcare (I've been a pharmacy tech for 10+ years), but I didn't know that nurses deal with it to this degree. Thank you so much for the insight and wisdom as I move forward in my new career. #futurefnp
Thank you for the feedback! I was super hopeful that it would be eye opening but not discouraging so I hope it came through as that. Congratulations on your acceptance into nursing school! I did an ABSN program as well!
@@NurseLiz Thanks! And it definitely did not come off as discouraging. Being left in the dark about these things would have put me at a disadvantage as a student nurse. I actually feel empowered after having watched this because now I know a bit more about what to expect when I start clinicals. I welcome the good, the bad and the ugly at this point. ☺ Any tips for the ABSN student? My program is 12 months, 24 hours per week in clinical and all of my classes are online.
I have been a hospital pharmacy tech for about 15 years now and had no idea it was this bad
ruclips.net/video/Zs76OwgRfZI/видео.html
Please keep this series!! This was incredibly informative.
I'm so glad! Thank you for the input. I was SUPER nervous putting this out there as it is quite different from my usual.
I agree
Agreed 💯🙏
@@NurseLiz ruclips.net/video/Zs76OwgRfZI/видео.html
Hi Liz!! I'm a nursing student and throughout my education this far, we have been warned of certain disease processes that may cause patients to become confused, angry, combative, etc; however, we have not been taught how to respond and react in these situations. Our professors have also made it seem as though this is a "few and far between" type of situation, not something that will potentially occur multiple times each and every shift. Thank you for starting a conversation on this topic! As a part of the next generation of nurses, I hope I can help make a change!
I'm glad they are at least talking about that! Thank you for listening and following along!
Even as a CNA in an acute rehab facility, I have experienced this by both family members and patients. Its so startling when it happened, I was so nervous to return to take care of that patient. It felt awful.
Thank you for sharing your experience, but I am so sorry you are dealing with that. It is absolutely SO hard to go back after something like that with a patient. Also kuddos to you for working in rehab, that is one tough job!
Violence from a family member would be a different issue, right? I would think they could be removed from the hospital, but I'm not a nurse yet so who knows.
@@jlmcgrot following
I greatly appreciated this video! I'm a senior year nursing student and I really have to say.... They haven't said really a single thing about it. Granted I still have one more semester after this, but they def have not brought it up.
I'm so sorry you were treated that way on your liver floor :/ That is really hard, and I agree it's hard to not defend yourself. Part of the reason I want to stay in peds is because of the violence factor. I know kids can be just as bad but it at least gives me comfort that most of the time it's because they genuinely don't know any better or because of something like their autism.. Whereas with adults I don't always have that empathy because sometimes they are just awful human beings.
Great video though, Liz. I'm super glad you talked about the issue!
Thank you for the encouragement and for sharing your perspective ❤️. It will be interesting to see if they mention anything in your final semester. (congrats on almost graduating btw, so exciting!).
No problem!! :) And yeah - I will be very interested to see if they do - I'm really hoping they do! But thanks so much!!! :)
I found the video very interesting! My whole career I have worked in hematology/Oncology and I can honestly say I have not experienced a lot of violence from patients. Having said that I have experienced violence from family members and some physicians. More verbal violence than physical. My heart breaks for you and all the nurses who have had these marking experiences.
It's still NO fun to deal with verbal violence. Thanks for sharing your experience ❤️
Nurse Liz- That’s why I dreaded floating to another floor in the hospital (specially med surge) because it was such a contrast of patients compared to my usual sweet, appreciate oncology patients.
oncology patients are definitely a super grateful population.
Honestly I love everything you've ever posted Liz.
❤️❤️
Loved loved loved this video! I’m getting ready to go to nurse school and you really opened up my eyes to something I didn’t know! Please make more videos like this with tips on “what to do if” I think those are your best videos, thanks you so much!
I have a few more coming soon!
I loved this. I’m in an accelerated nursing program now and love these kind of videos. You’re so well spoken. Thank you!
Thank you for the encouragement and feedback ❤️
💜💯💜💯💜💯💜💯💜💯💜💯💜 Liz, with your honesty ,you have helped me calm my fears about nursing . I absolutely ADORE your videos, it's kinda like my little addiction right now!!!
I work in the I/DD community as a DSP. Violence is a normal part of my job as well, although it doesn't happen to me with the same frequency . When I was doing my training and orientation, patient violence was a very real and serious issue we discussed from the get go.
We had training in how to handle escalating issues, but its VERY hard to know what could be going on in any one of our patients minds on a daily basis. I wish there were more protections for the professionals, and I also feel that I would never want to be held accountable for some of the mean things I've said while in bed with the flu or sick.
You're totally right, it is a catch-22.
Eyes wide open indeed!!! Thank you for being candid about this very sensitive topic Liz!
Thanks for watching!
THANK YOU! I so much appreciate you talking about this topic. I had never been treated so badly both physically AND verbally until I entered the healthcare field as a CNA. When I reported these things I was also told that this is just what happens and as long as you aren't bleeding or broken, you need to get used to it because it's part of being a nurse. I felt so defeated and unprepared. I do not look forward to this part of nursing but am grateful I was exposed to it because I don't know how I would have coped going into this as a new nurse. I would love to hear about coping skills to both physical as well as verbal abuse! Most information I have found online is targeted toward victims and the advice is to leave the person/situation. When I ask nurses the main reply is you just get used to it. I'm not quite used to it yet and I would love to hear how people do get to that point. I wish I could say that the worst situations are from people who don't know what they're doing but sadly they have been from people who are cognizant of their actions as well as the fact that unless they do something TRULY horrible to cross the line, they are safe and they will continue to be treated. The only repercussions they face are a stern talking to. Thank you again for making this video. This really isn't talked about!
Thank you for sharing your experience, I am SO sorry you have dealt with so much of this. I so relate to everything you said. In terms of getting used to it I think it is just time. At least for the verbal abuse. Physical abuse is really not something you get used to past hitting. I think I got used to that with exposure.
I’m in nursing school and have worked as a PCA for the past 2 summers. Currently I am in my psychiatric rotation in school. I have come to realize that violence is part and parcel to some areas of nursing. It takes 5 staff to change some residents because they can get so responsive/aggressive, but it is our responsibility as nursing professionals to ensure hygiene and skin integrity to clients who cannot do so for themselves. So, the system forces nurses to simply face violence during every shift.
That is so well said. It Does seem like the entire system of nursing does go hand in hand with facing violence, due to its nature. So hard. And so not OK. Thank you for sharing your experience ❤️
This is great!! We need more of this kind of talk! What you said about giving power to the patient is SO TRUE. I am planning to start nursing school in June, and this was so good to hear.
❤️. best of luck in nursing school!
Dear Nurse Liz, The things you have gone through made me so sad as a former patient who underwent open heart surgery at the age of 4,5 year old boy. I can't forget the love and compassion I received from my nurse Meryem at the time. Today I still feel the pain that I couldn't sufficiently express my gratitude to her because of the limited vocabulary of my small age. Since then I love all nurses. ı wish I could apologize to you and to all nurses suffered on behalf of all patients.
Wow thank you! And such an awesome tribute to that nurse who made such a difference on you. I hope you are doing well now!
Yes she was one of a kind indeed. She didn't leave me alone even when I was in intensive care (that made me feel very special indeed) and gave me moral support even there. She was of a great help for me in the very smooth transition of this very difficult time of my childhood. She was an elegant and a very caring person. I hope she has never been assaulted by anyone during her nursing career. Even the thought of it is enough to make me sick.
The operation was 100 percent successful. I go on my life as if I have never had any such operation. Today I am a 52 year old man who has no health problems whatsoever. My doctor evaluating my blood work told me that I was even healthier than him despite being 12 years older than him. He said if he showed the results of my blood work to his colleagues they couldn't guess that these're the results of a man over 50 year old.
I have a feeling that in 1970s nurses were getting a lot of respect in public. People were always more careful about their wordings and behaviours when nurses were around. I really wonder what changed so dramatically over the years that now they''re subjected to such violence today. What a shame.
I'm so glad you brought this up! It happens in all levels of health care, I just got into nursing, but I've worked as a dietary aid and as a residential social worker where I've experienced abuse. One program I've appreciated the most was a crisis prevention class and I wish this was taught at all levels, it really helps at making you feel less alone and more prepared
Ugh so sorry you've dealt with it. Thanks for sharing your experience
I'm really glad someone is talking about this. My husband really struggled with this more than I do. But it is something that takes adjusting. I have seen a coworker literally lose her baby due to patient violence and nothing was done to the pt but yet our hospital has a "zero tolerance policy." Its true there are some people who are just out of their mind and don't know what they are doing. Those aren't the ones that bother me really. Its the people who are purposely hateful, mean, and manipulative that frustrate me.
As a nursing student about to graduate, I've been so worried about this. As a CNA I've been choked, had death threats, been stopped on, slapped more times that I can even remember. This is the dark side nobody talks about but we desperately need to. Thank you for talking about this. I love your videos so much and I can't thank you enough for what you do. This was very helpful and an awesome perspective!
Oh wow I'm so sorry you've dealt with that, but appreciate you sharing so we can raise some awareness on the topic ❤️.
Thank you for making this video. I’m shocked, as a patient I find nurses the highlight of my day. They are so kind and would help me when my mom was gone. I can’t believe how common violence against nurses is. I am so so sorry for every one of you who have experienced something like this.
We so so appreciate people like you! Thanks for watching and sharing YOUR experience ❤️
I have not dealt with this at my workplace, thank goodness. Although, there are some people that know my profession that follow me around to try to create false conflict in order to have an excuse to speak to me inappropriately in public. It's very stressful when I do my best to social distance outside of work. As for my recent nurse assistant training, I believe that my teacher explained the possibility of what might happen with a confused or so-called confused patient and gave us useful tips on how to handle the situation. You're right no one ever really talks about this in general.
Hi Liz! First of all, thank you so much for putting this out there. I completely agree that violence against nurses needs to be discussed amongst colleagues and the general public. Sexual harassment is also a concern that needs to be addressed. I’m a first year nursing student, so I haven’t started clinicals yet, but in grade 11 I had a co-op placement on a geriatric floor in the hospital. Many of the patients suffered from dementia, and a few in particular were regularly combative with the nursing staff. There was one instance where two patients sitting across from each other at a table that I was also sitting at began to argue. They threw puzzle pieces at each other until the one man stood up, lifted the table, and tossed it at the other patient. Another time, which sticks with me the most, was when a man, while I was standing at his bedside, grabbed the lanyard around my neck and wrist to pull me into him. I was also kissed and called numerous words I shouldn’t repeat.
Oh 😣. I am so sorry you’ve dealt with that, and so early! Thank you for sharing your experience so we can raise awareness on it. Sexual harassment could be a whole different topic I feel, that is so widespread as well
Wow, you really open my eyes. I had no idea the amount of violence and abuse that was going on in the nursing field. I wanted to be a nurse since I was 6 years old. I am glad to now know about all of this so when I become a nurse I am not as shocked.
Thank you, for being honest, it's really appreciated.
P.S I am 21 years old
Best of luck in your career! How awesome that you knew so young 👍🏼
Thank you for talking about this. I’m a 3rd year nursing student and it’s a topic our academics haven’t really raised with us yet. We just got told to always have an exit strategy which is I guess helpful but we weren’t even told about incident reporting (I can’t believe you got hit over the head with an IV pole, surely that one had to get investigated!!). I only really came across violence to nursing staff as I’ve been working as an assistant in nursing while I complete my
degree and recently had violence towards me. I was so lost in the situation and unsure what to do.
I'm so sorry you have dealt with that, but thanks for talking about it so we can raise some awareness. I'd be curious to see what your teachers did have to say about it. Mine had the same "keep the door on your side" speech which wasn't helpful for most scenarios
Though it might be hard to hear, I'd like there to be more out there about this and other hard topics when it comes to nursing. I'm not in nursing school yet but this doesn't change my mind about it and I'd rather be informed going into a situation than not. My mom was a teacher and sometimes things like this happen to them as well. It's a different situation, I think for many of them (at least in the suburbs) it happens far less often than with nurses but when it does happen, not only are you protecting yourself but you're protecting the other kids in the class as well. **And I also second the TED talks, you would be awesome at them!
I have heard so many stories similar to this from teachers. And you are so right then they have all their other kids to look out for. Can’t even imagine.
Thank you for the encouragement! And feedback! I really appreciate it
Oh yeah, my husband is a teacher and had several such occurrences. Sometimes, the police will not take action because 'then the kid has a record' (maybe don't hit your teacher with a chair then??) . In some schools, this is rare and will never happen, in some schools it is not rare at all. You will have a few nightmare kids and like in the example with the autistic boy, the teenagers are quite strong and big.
I’m a new nurse here 🙋🏽♀️ I admitted a young man who had convulsions and wasn’t taking his medications at home. So he was very agitated and while the provider was asking basic questions he reached over to my right arm twisted it ALMOST breaking it. I lost his grip luckily but he pounced out of bed and chased me out the room. But thankkkkk god the doctor was there and he body shielded himself from coming after me. I was so shaken. I worry for my future sometimes lol. I’m still traumatized cause this is my first violent encounter. I’m still trying to cope this happened last week.
ugh that sounds so frightening. I hope this week is so much kinder to you
Thanks. Project presentation. Leadership class. Violance in nursing. Very helpful.
I've had the little slaps and hits, but i remember the first time I really felt abused. I work in an LTACH. We have a lot of vent weaning, trach collar trials, dialysis pts, liver issues etc. My pt that night had been trach collar trialing and off the vent for awhile. When iwas in the room, she kept trying to stand up out of her chair, taking off the telemtry, taking off the trach collar and desating. The tech came in, just trying to get a FSBS and then she had enough. She punched me with all of her strength, which didnt hurt, but of course i was taken back. Literally stepped away to give her space and then she tri ed to leave her room. I attempted to guide her back since she was not steady on her feet and i had no idea what elee to do. My supervisor arrived just in time to see her slap me. I let them handle the situation. The hospitalist came up and the pt was aggressive with her as well. I was upset of course, I'm a frustrated crier, so i excused myself. Incident report filed, no actionn taken. I think the hardest part was taking care of her after. I felt like why should I? They did labs and she went back on the vent and slept mostly while restrained. But seeing her later that week, smiling at me, with no recollection was very hard. Thank you for talking about it.
Ugh I’m so sorry you’ve dealt with that, but thank you for sharing ❤️. I agree it’s SO hard to go back to caring for them after incidents like that. You are doing a great job!
This really opened my eyes to the reality of it all and I really appreciate the knowledge you share with us.
Yes I’m glad someone is talking about it! I’m in nursing school right now but I’m a CNA and it’s crazy how the patient is always right no matter what super scary and it has been making me second guess if I want to go into this field so much stress lol
I totally get that. I’m glad it hit home with you, definitely nervous to talk about it. I’m sorry you have experienced it as well, but so appreciate you contributing to our discussion.
Love love love liz!..THIS DOES NEED TO BE SPOKEN!!...My first week as a CNA in 2005 I was shoved in an locked alzhimers unit at night shift 11pm-7am...let's just say after 6 long months I had reevaluate my career dision an leave that job...burnt out was putting it mildly...
Well it's been 20+ years an I'm still in healthcare ,but I'm finally at my dream job with a lot of time an experience under my belt,.I'm a private home care giver for this wonderful family an there elderly mom...this is why iv stayed this long..I'm feel hospital or faculty settings are very little thank yous...well these home cares is a daily appriciation now for me...and just that hug an thank you every day just makes all of the tears an stress so worth it at the end of my day...it's is our job ,,you just get great at bobbing an weaving an you can be better at this somedays scary, not so nice jobs.the health field fields so broken on days.....you will conquer ...you will find ur perfect one day...thank u liz
You are doing a great job!
Thank you for doing this. I have worked in women's services as a nurse and I've witnessed verbal abuse from family members more in the ambulatory side than in the hospital to the point where I've seen patients being dismissed from a practice due to repeated unacceptable behavior. It needs to be talked about more. I agree that in nursing school the only time it was addressed was in psych.
Thank you for sharing your experience! My mom worked in women’s health as well and said it was really intense with the verbal abuse. So sorry you have experienced it as well.
I’m so glad to say that I can’t relate to this topic at all. I’ve been a nurse for 13 years, now in NP school, and I’ve never experienced physical violence toward me in any form. I have been spoken to rudely, and cursed at by confused patients, but that’s it. I’m SO VERY SORRY that you and so many others have this as your reality. I’m guessing it may center around my areas of specialty or maybe the facilities I’ve worked in, because my coworkers haven’t seen it either. But thank you sooooo much for addressing this for us! Fellow nurses- please be careful! Thanks Liz for what you give us every week..we love you!
I'm so glad there are people that can't relate to it!!
One of your videos recently popped up as a sidebar option. I've been hooked ever since. I just listened to your more recent video on if you would go into nursing again and you said no. But here 4 years ago, you said you would. It sounds like your journey between this one and the more current one has taken a toll on you. I would definitely recommend nursing students watch your videos - I told one of my nursing school instructors about them.
Also, I worked detox nursing. I think hospitals need more education on how to medicate people while they are detoxing. And esp if they go into DTs
I love this. First, I've been in healthcare for about 10 years as a CNA, LPN, and RN. As a CNA I saw physical attacks on coworkers and myself by the residents at nursing homes, as an LPN I saw verbal abuse from patients at a walk in clinic. Currently as a RN I see this continue in the ICUs where I work. You're right, school and hospitals do not educate ways to stop or prevent this abuse other than with therapeutic communication or calling security, but often by the time security gets there the damage is done. My current hospital does currently post that assault on healthcare workers is a federal crime which is nice.
I really enjoyed this "break room talk" and would love to see more along side the other types of videos you post. Thank you for your videos, I really enjoy seeing them and even more so appreciate that you show your good days and bad days.
Thank you for the encouragement! And for sharing your experience. I am so sorry you've seen/experienced so much over your years in healthcare. I do like that some hospitals are starting to post that assault is a federal crime, but I haven't seen much done with it, because then the patient claims they weren't in their right mind. Have you seen anything ever come from this?
And thank you for the input! I was super nervous posting this so I'm glad it is resonating with you :)
Thanks for sharing
Thank you so much for addressing this! This is such a critical part of the job.
agreed
Wow this was a very well made video. Please make more videos like this. I just started nursing school and the one thing that scares me the most is combative patients. As a nurse aide I would be asked to come into work early to be a sitter for a combative patient and I would be terrified. I can remember the fear I felt when the patient had a tight hold of my wrist and wouldn’t let go. I also recall patients trying to kick me while I was alone in the room with them. Luckily they were smaller than me. This honestly makes me so upset and fearful because as a nurse I want to feel safe while caring for patients not scared. Thank you for the tips in the end.
Glad it was helpful. So sorry you’ve experienced that 😖
Wow, I have heard about nurse abuse but had no idea just how common it is. I was thinking of becoming a nurse but have ptsd and might not be able to handle it. If things get better I will certainly reconsider. Thanks for the video
Thank you. I know I requested this video from you, and I know when I requested it, it might have brought up very painful memories. In your interview with your mom, I was a bit shocked when you mentioned it as NO ONE talks about this.
I’m currently in A&P2 and Micro with plans on becoming a nurse practitioner. I make excellent money right now in my day job, but I’ve always felt a calling toward nursing. I don’t have to do this; I want to. Your comment kinda jolted me, I have to admit.
My aunt was a nurse in a Psych ward and a jail. She mentioned a tiny bit about nursing in the psych ward being violent, but I just figured I’d stay away from that track. Now, I’m pretty sure she just didn’t share.
I brought this up to some of my Micro classmates last night who are LPNs after watching your video yesterday and they regaled me a stories of being punched. They said most of the issues are due to drugs, alcohol and mental illness, and they have had to learn to take it.
This is not right. Your posting this was so brave and is going to start discussions that are important. I’m very proud of you. I hope you are very proud of yourself as well.
Michelle
Thank you for talking about this!! That is huge and what we need ❤️
omg!
1. Is the violence the same fo nurse practitioners? And thanks for your honesty. Most ppl on social media glamorize nursing as if it has no rust spots. I am about o pusue nursing school to get a BSN. while i still like nursing, thiss is definately a notion to consider.
2. Finally, do you like being a nurse practitioner better vs. registered nurse?
3. Is nurse pracctitioner lless stressful than bedside nursing?
4. Yes!! More break room chats!!!!
Thanks Nuse Liz!!!!!
Violence is typically much more verbal for Nurse Practitioners. When patients don't get their way or their medications they want (opiates) they can get very verbally abusive. I'm not sure which one I like better, at the moment I like bedside nursing better because I'm better at it. Being an NP is definitely more stressful than being an RN. So glad this type of video resonated with you. I was pretty nervous posting it
Bleu, Nursing is a great profession but like anything else some bad people can make it rough. It is important to get a buddy if you think there might be an issue. find out if your future employer has a workplace violence policy or program if not, you should keep that in mind.
SO informative and helpful. I am in my junior semester of a BSN program. I shared this video with our Intro to Nursing professor. Hopefully we can show this vlog in class! Thank you!!
Thanks for sharing!
So I have been a nurse for a little over a year now, and I work on a sub acute adult inpatient floor, and we see a lot of violence. On the floor I have been put in a chokehold kicked punch and touch in inappropriate places, and there really is no go system in place to Protect the nurses!!! On our floor we try really hard to decrease violence through communication, but some of the nurse on the floor say things like sedated and constipated is how we have a good shift...and I don’t think that right either. Thanks Liz for open up this discussion and it is refreshing to see that people have the same struggles that I am having...
Ugh I'm so sorry that you've dealt with so much in such a short time. Thank you for sharing your experience so we can keep the conversation open. I agree that super sedated isn't the answer. Its just so hard to figure out what to do with it, the balance between patient safety and staff safety is such a grey area.
This truly makes my heart hurt. You are spot on with this discussion. 3.5 yrs in med surg and the abuse and violence has worn down my spirit.
Ugh I'm sorry its getting to you that way, but I 100% understand. Like I said. I only made it 1.5 yrs in med surg before I had to bail. You are doing awesome things!
@@NurseLiz it was refreshing to hear you speak honestly on this. I feel like when I've voiced my concerns to management, I only get accused of being negative. When will they ever be on our side???
Mila 921 when it financially benefits them to do so 😞
Is it any better in med surge peds? Which dept of the hospital is the least likely to experience the violent and trash talk experience? Are there any areas where nurses seem to be treated better?
Thank you so much for this. This was extremely eye opening... I had no idea. I definitely like these... let me know what I'm getting into, lol. I'm to old for surprises.
Thank you for the feedback! I was so nervous putting this out there, you have no idea! I'm glad you felt it was helpful. You got this!
Thank you for talking about this. I think student Nurses need to hear this side of it to make an informed decision about their career.
I personally know 2 nurses injured on a psych floor. A patient became unhinged he bashed one nurse's head into the door knob-she died a few months later from her injuries, the other nurse injured needed facial /dental repair. I'll never forget the nurses.
I’m gonna love this series!
I hope so! THank you for following along and for the feedback! I was pretty nervous about it 😬
I’m not a nurse yet.... but I really enjoyed this video. Very informative!! Thank you
Thank you for the feedback! I was really nervous about putting this out there but I"m glad it resonated with you!
Yes as I’ve experienced patient on nurse violence and I’m a nurse tech (soon starting nursing school in the summer). I work med/surge renal but we get a lot of older dementia patients and when they’re confused and upset they get angry and even violent. I was once kicked by one such patient when we were trying to place restraints on him. (Thankfully it wasn’t that hard of a kick, there was barely a scratch/bruise. But it could have been a lot worse)
Violence against nurses is a very important topic that no one ever talks about. Most hospitals fail to protect nurses from this type of violence every day. We are nurses and we love our patients but we are also human beings. It isn't ok for any patient "confused" or not to assault a nurse. Hospitals wonder why nurses don't stay, it is because you don't respect us and refuse to acknowledge the verbal, physical and professional abuse that we endure EVERY DAY. It's all about patient rights but what about our rights.
Agreed! 🙌🏻
Super super topic. First time I've heard about violence toward nurses and Ill be starting my freshman year on Sept 2. I worked in our state psychiatric hospital as a mental health aid and heard all of the stories about what happens there, also I watched the youtube channels before actually starting that job. But I never even thought that it happens in medical hospitals. In New York we aren't allowed to restrain patients. Keep talking about violence and stay with this topic! If it isn't talked about, it won't evolve and the pendulum will never move. Love your vids! Love your channel!
No restraints at all? That's wild
Great video Liz, I work in a ccu and have dealt with tons of verbal abuse and some physical. I remember this one lady who just had open heart that scratched me and spit at me every time I came near her. It’s horrible when they are really critical like after open heart so you have no choice but to keep going in the room. Defiantly makes you feel like why do I even work here, I’m trying so hard to help you and you just abuse us. It’s really difficult sometimes. Idk what they can really do either but it sucks!
Yes to all of this. Thank you for speaking up and doing what you do!
So they won't allow you to trade with a different nurse if a patient is constantly abusive toward you but not toward other nurses on the floor? Seems like that could help decrease some of the abuse......
As a CNA we were never taught about violence from patients, even when I started at my job I was not taught about had to handle it. It’s really sad, when my friends said they wanted to be in the health care field and I had a full heart to heart with them about the good the bad and the ugly
I don't understand why we don't educate people about it. I feel like its something EVERYONE who interacts with patients should be educated on. Oof. Soapbox haha
Definitely not a part of the job. Nurses need to unify and we cannot take the abuse. The other day I was in the Ped ER and we were triaging a little girl and the father of the girl was verbal abusive because her level of triage wasn’t urgent.
Stressed parents can be very frightening to work with. I am sorry you have experienced it as well, and thank you for sharing your experience. You are so right it isn't part of the job, I just wish we knew how to separate it from the job a bit more.
You are amazing. I don't what to say . I am speechless after I watched your video. You are so genuine. I really think too that you should go to Ted talk. Excellent Liz.
Wow. More videos like this please. Absolutely enjoyed this.
thank you so much for the feedback. I was SO nervous to put this out there. I'm glad its helpful!
Nurse Liz you’re very welcome. 😊
I'm an EMT and I have experienced lots of violence. Unfortunately being in the back of an ambulance with a patient that is unpredictable can be scary. We don't always have police on hand which is difficult. Police come with every violent call but sometimes we get patients that call for say abdominal pain or something then some how become violent. I have been attacked before, it's no joke.... Thank you for speaking about this topic because it's one that medical providers don't talk about enough.
I cannot even imagine being in an ambulance with no where to go. Thank you so much for doing what you do and for joining this conversation. So much respect for you and other emt’s
Nurses are spit on, beaten, punched, kicked, sworn at, physically and verbally assaulted every damn day. And not JUST by the patients, but by the families of the patients as well! They're overworked, often not even allowed their legal lunch breaks, often not having time to even go to the bathroom. If they attempt to pull back even a tiny bit in order to take care of themselves, the hospital ITSELF, or more the CEO's and owners of the hospitals, and sometimes the head nurses, penalize and abuse them for it further. And the pay is often atrocious with some nurses actually having to consider second jobs JUST TO PAY THEIR BILLS! And it's not just in hospitals. It's even WORSE in long-term nursing care facilities. Those places chew nursing staff up and spit them out. The turnover rate for those places in IMMENSE and has caused more burnout and more nurses leaving the field.
People are screaming that "This wasn't a problem before the mandates, the mandates are doing this to them!"
WRONG!!!!
This has been a massive problem LONG before Covid started. This pandemic has simply accelerated and exacerbated the problem, and dragged it out of the shadows of "it's only a few disgruntled individuals" to shine a glaring spotlight on just how BAD it is for nursing staff. Between the low pay, the physical and psychological abuse, and yes even multiple instances of sexual assault from patients as well, unfortunately this is also NOT uncommon, especially in long-term health care facilities, it's no wonder nurses are burning out, fast. Couple that with the massive rise in death, and the fact the ICU's are now overwhelmed? Things have gotten to a breaking point, and these poor men and women are saying "No More".
This problem has been festering for several decades, and it's now erupted into a massive spot that no one can ignore, not anymore.
Thank you so much for sharing this. I had no idea about the level of violence that nurses had to put up with (maybe because ei actually appreciat and respect the people saving my life. I was deciding which major I wanted (between Nursing or Business)...to go with my Nutrition background and I think this video helped me make my mind up, lol.
I'm sorry you...ANY of you have to go through this.
Thanks for your input! Best of luck whichever you choose!
@@NurseLiz Thank You. Best of everything in all your endeavors!!
Thanks for the information, especially now that I'm studying to become a MA
yes more of these tough dialogue please! i think you have a video about ppl dealing with cancer, terminal illness, death, advanced directives..? Would appreciate your input on those topics. Thanks Liz you are AWESOME!
I have one in this same playlist on dealing with patient death if that would be helpful
@@NurseLiz thank you!
As a CNA I get slapped at, hit at, bitten all the time. I work with patients that have aggressive Alzheimer's, that sundown, or are just generally confused. For anyone new to healthcare, you do learn to anticipate those moments when that aggression is coming and how to deal with it to protect both yourself, and them.
That is very true that you learn to anticipate it! And that’s very helpful. I’m so sorry you’ve experienced this as well, but appreciate you sharing your experience ❤️
I am a A-EMT and work on an Ambulance. I am considering going to school to get my RN. I have seen violence against RN and hospital staff. I really feel for them because like you said they are expected to just take it.
I can't speak for every service, but the service I work for is very good about staff defending themselves and the use of restraints.
As a first responder I have been attacked several times on crazy calls. Especially when drugs and alcohol are involved. One move than one time I have physically restrained a PT who was trying to harm me.
Many times we have PD on scene and if they are too dangerous for ua to deal with well can send them with PD.
Again I can't speak for all services but at the service and in the state I work EMS and first responder are allowed to carry firearms for self defense. I have heard of crews having guns and knives pulled on them. Luckily I have never heard of any EMS involved shootings.
I wish you the best. Keep up the good work.
Thank you for sharing this. This means a lot. I work with geriatric patients and the abuse that happens to the staff is honestly shocking. Fortunately, I worked with a very cooperative, amazing team and we would all voluntarily take turns to care for "those patients". I'm not talking about the patients who honestly can't help themselves and really need to take everything moment by moment. I'm talking about the patients who threaten to kill themselves or you, attempt to kill themselves or you and when you ask the on-call physician to evaluate them, the patient denies, denies, denies til the sun goes down. I had a patient once who threatened to kill herself, was evaluated acting like a perfect angel, and the second the doctor left the room she stared me down and said "you little f***ing snitch, you will regret that" and proceeded to spit on my face.
I'm so sorry you had to go through that! I really wish things were better out there.
Great videos...please talk about what happens in the hospital...things that make people not want to stay in the nursing field.
Definitely more to come in this series! But the point is definitely not to make people want to exit the nursing field!!
Really like this little series idea!
Thank you!
Really good video, I'm hooked on your channel now.
Aww thanks! Welcome to the channel :)
We need lots of this information. We are so abused as nurses .
Today in class we had a speaker who talked a lot about bullying in the workplace. It wasn’t patient to healthcare provider but among healthcare providers. The only statement she said about patient to healthcare provider abuse was that patients will act like that and all we can do is give them the care every patient should get. She seemed very passionate about how patients act and how nurses just have to deal with it.
Yikes. That makes me sad :( I think BOTH topics should be discussed equally. Accepting it like that is only perpetuating the problem. Thanks for sharing ❤️
Yes and my hospital did nothing. My director and co director of my unit passed me in the hall twice after I had surgery and they said nothing to me. Nothing was done to make our unit safer. Hospital administrators won’t ever do anything until a nurse is murdered and they’re forced to make changes
I worked at a county hospital once where they required their employees to get certified in self defense in orientation to be able to know how to weed your hair out of a patients hand and how to get your self out of a choke hold.....
That’s wild. But probably a good idea 😳
From 2013-2020 I was a Mental Health Associate (like a nursing assistant for psych).
For 2 years I worked in Geriatric Psych and I was frequently attacked by older people. Many who didn't have dementia and were just aggressive. In once situation- there as a older man who thought I was there to kill all the women. He tried to sneak up on me numerous times with things to hit me with: A walker, the top of a table. He was finally medicated and we were kept apart for a week. I assumed he would have been over it by then so one night I tried to help him to the bathroom and that's where he punched me in the crotch and started swinging at me. I had to have an ultrasound done on my testicles because he hit me to hard. My inguinal nerve was swollen and I had a burning sensation in my groin for several days.
I moved to an Adult Psych ICU and got into may situations where patients were assaultive. And I knew that going in. But one young man wanted to leave and his dad showed up. He chased his father around the day room and the patient stopped and turned to me. My Charge Nurse had just shown up and he shoved my Charge Nurse and then gave be a left-hook to my face. I twisted all the way around. He'd hit me so hard my face had a cut on my upper lip and I needed stitches. When I went to our ER I was told I couldn't have Norco or any opioids because "it would look bad" and "You're a big guy so I'm sure you'll be ok." I ended up going to HR and then to Employee Health and got 12 weeks of PT because I couldn't move my neck and I was forgetting things like people's names. If I hadn't gone in a second time I would have been suffering for months, and because I'm a man I'm treated as if I should just get over it.
Now that I'm a nurse I have coworkers saying i should have the more difficult patients once I'm off orientation.
Currently a student and have done clinicals on a geriatric floor and on a med-surg floor.
I often ask around to help out the working nurses on my own downtime to do VS and other small stuff. I had walked into a room where the patient started yelling at me asking if I could get him some food RIGHT NOW. I told him that I had no power to make it happen since I was a student and asked if I could just take vitals and let the nurse know. He got so angry at me, cussed me up and down and flat out said no. I stopped until he finished yelling and asked "can I get the blood pressure at least?" and he told me to get out. To tell you honestly it was the most hilarious insult to me. When I came in with his nurse later to get those vital signs, he apologized saying that he was just really hungry and didn't mean to be so ugly with me. I don't know if it was even genuine but it was nice either way.
On a geriatric floor I had gotten afternoon report from another student that my patient was a lovely sweet older lady, alert and oriented. I was surprised but delighted to hear it so I went into the room very ecstatic! My patient took one look at me and was so angry that I was "late". I tried asking what she meant and she started trying to pinch and hit me then took of the o2 and said she was going home. I was in such a panic that I just called out to the nurse across the hall saying "I need some help in here, I don't know what to do with this!" since I was scared that I'd be in trouble if I had tried to restrain her and keep her from leaving the room. The nurse deescalated it beautifully. It was really like magic. He later took me aside and had explained that she was just sundowning.... It was my first time to ever experience that.
I have a few more stories from the ER rotation that are just as exciting but not horrifying. I don't know how you dealt with having poo thrown at you, Liz. You have incredible resolve.
Thank yo for sharing your experience!
Yes more breakroom talk lol...and btw im more afraid of getting stab with a dirty needle or something because i heard stories. i want to go into the pysch nursing field and that seen more intimidating to go for because of dealing with mentally ill patients. Im glad you made this video because this is something that everybody can talk and be aware of to find better solutions.
Thank you so much for the feedback! I was super nervous putting this out there, but I'm glad it sat well with you (or not well, but, you know what I mean).
Psych nurses and providers are so needed and I am so appreciative that there are people like you who have a passion for workin in that field. THANK YOU
This is something alot of ppl don't talk about and i admire the courage. All while i been wanting to become a nurse, this is something that's been in the back of my mind because i know that not all patients is kind and sweet. Im just thankful for this video because i still have a passion and a passion to work in psych. But im not that scared because i know that i carry alot of patience deep down and i just want to help.
naomi reedus the world needs many more people like you ❤️
Physical and verbal abuse are such a regular in the hospital that people lose their sensitivity to it. I think that is why we don't talk about it enough, once it has happened so many times it just starts to phase you less and less until something serious happens and it is too late. Kind of like code blues. The first time a patient codes on you it is just this insane thing, but depending on what floor you work on it will become a normal part of the month. I will say working as a tech has better prepared me to deal with this stuff as a nurse than nursing school has so far. As a tech I have been hit by confused patients, I have been cussed out for changing people when they used the bathroom or pulled an IV out, I have been threatened, and I have had patients make very inappropriate sexual advances toward me, and I've had people be sexist in their verbal assaults. All I can say is if a patient makes you uncomfortable do NOT go in the room alone, take another tech or nurse with you. Most likely if they make you uncomfortable as a nurse your tech probably is too and both can benefit from going in at the same time. I think the worst story I have ever heard is from a coworker. She said that while doing her psych clinical rotation when she was still in school a patient pushed her in the closet and attempted to rape her. Luckily help came in time that she was okay, but be aware of who you are dealing with. I will say the more it happens the better I know how to handle it, and that is the only pro to it being fairly common.
Wow. Thank you for sharing. Starting to question whether I should pursue nursing.
It is definitely a lot to think about, but there are many wonderful parts as well
I have been a psych nurse for a very long time, and I have never (nor will I ever) tell anyone that being assaulted is part of nursing. Shame on those, who carry this kind of message to those we are suppose to be ushering in as next generation nurses! It really isn't enough to talk about how fed up we are with all this. Nurses need to unite as true advocates for each other. True we need to talk about it, but more; we need to do something. Nurses should never accept being that being violated is okay. I have seen horrific events throughout my career as a nurse, and nothing is ever really *done* about it. Nothing will ever be done about it, until nurses get into action. We need this unity, because no one else will care. Security needs to be present in high risk areas at all times, but $$$$ over nurses and employees.... That is the worth of a nurse in their eyes. We talk so much about patient rights... what about the rights of those who care for them. You are spot on with the press gannet. #letsSTOPtalking #getintoaction #Imready
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more chat pls. , very informative vid.
I'm so glad it was informative! I was very nervous about putting it out there. I'm glad it resonated with you
I’m watching this video super late (new subscriber) but I work as a medical assistant in Family Practice (whoop whoop 🙌🏻) but the violence is still real there. Patients waiting in parking lots verbal abuse. But my husband worked as a security guard in a major downtown hospital in a large city. And the stories he’s told. Two of his coworkers were bit trying to restrain a combative patient. One of them even received a torn bicep muscle and needed surgery. It was in film! Pressed chargers and nothing became of it. The patient even stated he was aware and cognitive of what he was doing and did it on purpose. But it was the guards fault for getting bit.
Patients waiting in the parking lot TERRIFIES me after I've had bad experiences in the office. and ugh. We saw that a lot. Where the person would admit to it, but absolutely nothing would happen . SO incredibly frustrating
This is crazy!! Nurses are expected to accept violence? I had no idea that violence towards nurses was a thing.I hope the scientists are working on nurse robots cause the real ones are dwindling.
I wasn't working as a Nurse at the time. I was bitten by a patient that I was trying to re-intubate. This patient was a MD as well!