When Patients Attack!

From NY Times:

Nurses Step Up Efforts to Protect Against Attacks

By DAVID TULLER

Published: July 8, 2008

Advocates for nurses are lobbying for increased penalties for violent patients and urging that all incidents be reported.
(Click HERE to read more.)

We were just discussing about this at work because one of our patients became verbally and physically abusive to one of the nurses. My co-worker asked, "How come we can't do anyting when they try to hit us?" She meant file charges or at least file a complaint. My answer basically was that it comes with the job. I expected patients to be like that, since I've grown up hearing my mom's tales of when patients attack. Now, I have my stories, too. One is of a 90-year old lady trying to take a swing at me. My other question to my co-worker: Can a patient be responsible for his/her actions when they are confused (whether from psych or physical reasons)? I don't really have an answer. Different hospitals deal with that in some way, I'm sure. Hasn't come up for me yet, so I haven't investigated.

Spurred by the article, I tried to see if NY was doing anything along those lines. In NY state, NYSNA is lobbying for Bill A06186. The bill would make assault on nurses a class C or D felony, equal to assaulting a police officer. However, the bill seems very specific in only being applied to emergency situations, as in first aid, or in ER cases. What happens to nurses in inpatient med/surg units? Maybe I should just work with babies. They don't hit you at all. The OR maybe? They're too knocked out to even lift a finger. Bill AO6186 is currently referred to the Codes Committee.

See, that Nursing and Society class actually paid off.