Physician/Staff Assault in ED

[SoyMilk]

Recently a staff member at my institution was assaulted in the ED. Long story short: Complex med code, patient dies, family member hits staff member in face. While I did not observe the full aftermath of this event, it is my impression that nothing was done (PD not called / nothing reported). How is this acceptable. Whether they are patients or patients' family, we should not allow unruly people to run amok in the ED without consequence.

Earlier this year, I witnessed a patient punch a female attending in the chest. Everyone just let it go. Although she was not hit very hard, tolerating this kind of behavior sends the wrong message.

Can we not call the cops on patients? Is this considered in poor taste even if the patient is violent?

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[Birdstrike]

It's not acceptable. If everyone punched someone in the face every time a relative died, we'd all have broken noses and fifth metacarpal head fractures. Absolutely you can call the cops on patients and press charges if you are assaulted. In some states there are even more severe penalties for assaulting health care workers. Not doing so just invites more abuse.

 

[link2swim06]

I'd 100% call the cops for **** like that. That is assault. What do you think would have happened if a person slapped a cop or a judge in the face?

The exception is the delirious patient who doesn't even know what the heck is going on him/herself....but even then if they really hurt someone the cops would get involved.

 

[WilcoWorld]

If everyone punched someone in the face every time a relative died, we'd all have broken noses and fifth metacarpal head fractures.

I like what you did there.

As to the OP's question - I think it should be up to the person who got punched. There should be ZERO pressure from administration not to press charges, but if the provider doesn't want to press charges, that's his or her decision.

I think that overall we tolerate too much ill treatment from ED patients. However, I can imagine there a situation where someone would not want to file charges. It's hard, and complicated, but conceivable.

 

[joeDO2]

I don't think anyone would state it outright, but there is definitely pressure on staff to not report / press charges. In urban EDs there are often patients who are violent, throw punches, need restraints, etc. Its seen as a sign of weakness and a waste of police resources to file reports for these types of events. Its often unclear whether the patient is acting that way due to illness/circumstances out of their control or not. In any case, the situation described in the OP is a different situation since it is a family member. I do think that the police should be called without hesitation in cases like that.

 

[DrYoda]

Maybe my ED is the exception, but we don't tolerate anything that even looks like it's going to get violent. I have seen people get arrested, tazed, tackled ect by our in house police/security for behaving in a violent manner and charges do get filled. Even in the case of dead family members, we have rarely had certain family members removed for behaving out of hand after a death, not something I like to do but it's not worth creating an unsafe environment for the entire department. We do tolerate a fair amount of verbal abuse from patient's, but even if those people get to riled up security is all over them. It's a big inner city hospital and we really can't afford to let things get too rowdy. Hopefully this is how most places are. In the OP's case it's a shame more was not done about this, there should be no tolerance for violent behavior.

 

[It'sElectric]

This is actually a felony in many states - assaulting a health care provider while working. So yes, something should be done. Would these same people punch their server if their steak was over cooked, their attorney if they felt the bill was too high, their mail person for accidentally mixing up their mail, etc.? This is completely unacceptable and there should be zero tolerance for it at all times.

 

[Psai]

What would happen if you punched them back

 

[joeDO2]

What would happen if you punched them back

Think about who has more to lose

 

[Mad Jack]

What would happen if you punched them back

Happened once in our ED, on camera in the trauma room and everything. The guy didn't press charges because there was video that proved it was self defense (and reflexive at that, the guy swung hard and the tech involved didn't even think before he ducked and threw a punch that broke the guy's nose). I wouldn't recommend repeating, as your results may vary.

Anyway, letting assault slide in the ED is unacceptable. If you don't file chargers you're basically just saying it's okay.

 

[Birdstrike]

Per reports, happened after admission, not in the ED, but still...


Horrific Footage Shows Patient's Violent Hospital Rampage

"...one nurse suffered a collapsed lung, and another sprained her wrist in the attack. The remaining two nurses sustained mild cuts and bruises."

http://nypost.com/2014/11/07/horrific-video-shows-patient-attacking-nurses-with-metal-pole/

 

[Birdstrike]

Doctor Shot At Brigham And Women’s Hospital Dies


http://boston.cbslocal.com/2015/01/...ible-shooting-at-brigham-and-womens-hospital/

 

[Old_Mil]

Let's face facts: the large majority of people who act this way in the ER do so because they are douchebags, not delirious.

 

[deleted547339]

Let's face facts: the large majority of people who act this way in the ER do so because they are douchebags, not delirious.

Can't we just abbreviate this to:

The large majority of people in the ER are douchebags, not delirious

 

[BoardingDoc]

Doctor Shot At Brigham And Women’s Hospital Dies


http://boston.cbslocal.com/2015/01/...ible-shooting-at-brigham-and-womens-hospital/

Don't read the comments section at the bottom of the article if you have any faith left in humanity. If that has long since left you, read away.

 

[FLTDOC1]

Recently a staff member at my institution was assaulted in the ED. Long story short: Complex med code, patient dies, family member hits staff member in face. While I did not observe the full aftermath of this event, it is my impression that nothing was done (PD not called / nothing reported). How is this acceptable. Whether they are patients or patients' family, we should not allow unruly people to run amok in the ED without consequence.

Earlier this year, I witnessed a patient punch a female attending in the chest. Everyone just let it go. Although she was not hit very hard, tolerating this kind of behavior sends the wrong message.

Can we not call the cops on patients? Is this considered in poor taste even if the patient is violent?

If you cant do it in Walmart - you cant do it in my ED. Alcohol and/or grief never an excuse for criminal assault. Of course you call the police.

 

[WilcoWorld]

Don't read the comments section at the bottom of the article anywhere on the internet if you have any faith left in humanity. If that has long since left you, read away.

Fixed it for you.

 

[Arcan57]

Fixed it for you.

I waded into the comments section and my soul will never be clean. It was like watching a circle jerk in a sewage pit.

 

[gutonc]

It was like watching a circle jerk in a sewage pit.

Beautiful...just beautiful.

 

[Birdstrike]

Don't read the comments section at the bottom of the article if you have any faith...in humanity. If that has long since left you, read away.

"Faith in humanity"?

What's that?

 

[gutonc]

I waded into the comments section and my soul will never be clean. It was like watching a circle jerk in a sewage pit.

I was reminded again of this sage statement when I stumbled on this comic today:

 

[Birdstrike]

You can have armed guards or pack a gun, but ultimately, if someone wants to assassinate and ambushes, you're likely to meet your maker that day. Like the cops killed in NYC recently, any President ever assassinated, or a medal winning sniper like Chris Kyle, you can be armed or guarded to the teeth, but if someone ambushes you, you're likely dead before you can ever reach for your pistol, call security or turn and run.

As much as we like to fashion ourselves as a sophisticated, rational and aristocratic species, we are after all, very much part of the animal kingdom at its most base level.

 

[WilcoWorld]

Access to a firearm probably doesn't make you safer.