Gennie Shauer: Working in Behavioral Health is one of the most rewarding, yet dangerous aspects of medicine.If the patient became combative and violent, restraining him was the only thing you could have done to protect yourself AND him. Injuries do occur, regardless of how careful we try to be, simply because we cannot control what the patient does or how he may respond to our corrective instruction and/or action.In my opinion, you did not go too far. You did not strike the patient, you simply restrained him when he became a threat to you, himself, and anyone else who might be near. You did your job the best you could in the situation with which you were faced....Show more
Willis Liburd: I also was once in charge of dealing out cigarettes at a nursing home to Psy patients. I was also threatened but never injured. I left the field and now work in a much safer environment. I agree that it is a very difficult field to work in. it is my personal opinion that althou! gh I loved working with the people, but the compensation was not worth the risk,...Show more
An Cardine: I think you handled it correctly. You gained control quickly and no one was really hurt. Had you argued with the patient, things would have gotten worse. You took control and showed the patient you could over power him/her so maybe they won't do it again. You should know the procedure when something like this happens so as long as you followed it you have no worries. Just do not turn your back on this patient. Since the patient knows you can overpower them, they may try something sneaky to get you. The only other thing I could think of which may not have worked was you stepping back and asking for assistance so you would have a witness to what was going on and also having help would have intimidated the patient and he might have backed off without physical restraint...Show more
Jed Porada: I think you need to talk to your manager or a person higher up so that! you can tell them your concerns and they can reassure you.You! did do the right thing in my eyes, if he was aggressive.
Kaylee Schmittou: Ok for many years I volunteered on the more violent long term care units of a state mental hospital in Maryland. Patients with mental problems do get upset. There are many times when patients want to do things that are unsafe or not allowed by the rules. Yes whenever a patient is hurt it is a serious situation.If you have been hit it is your duty to bring the patient into control and compliance with institution rules. There are times when force must be used to accomplish the goals of bringing a patient back into compliance with hospital policy. When thinking about your role as a patient management specialist you must always consider your responsibility to all the patients under your custody. The Four C's of helping patients in an institutional setting are. CLOSE, CARE, CUSTODY and CONTROL! First you must keep institutionalized patients close as in a close accounting of their whereabout! s and actions. Next is care if you do not "Care" about assigned patients you are in the wrong career. Custody means you must act in the best interest of those person you are charged for protecting. Custody is more than just holding patients in a building. Custody means you must act in ways that insure their health welfare and safety. Finally you must Control not only the patient but the environment on the ward, unit or area.Control is about that individual patients right to be free from harm. However control is more than that. Control is making sure no patient is in a position to incite antisocial behaviors in other patients that could cause you to lose control of the unit. Control is not about fighting a patient until he is a bloody pulp but neither is it allowing yourself to become a punching bag for some higheroble cause. Control is about taking the least violent course to restore peace and order to the environment on the unit so its safe for everone. The menta! l hospital is not heaven. Just like any place else on Earth actions ha! ve consequences. The patient hit you and you restrained them. You did not engage in mindless gratutitous violence. Control is a measured physical response to violence that is designed only to restore order to the unit.In my opinion you are worried about nothing. Yes it hurts everytime you must control a patient. I hated controlling anyone when I was on the wards because, it made me sad. I was and am an idealist, I do not like violence or pain and hate causing it in any way. However controlling violent patients IS part of your job! You take no joy in controlling others. However if I were a mental patient under your care, I'd know it is better to have a compassionate person like you restrain me when I got upset. The alternative is seeing patients brutalized by big ape like men with no education, no compassion and no remorse when beating a patient. Note I did not say restraining I said beating.Thats the difference between what you did and whata true monster would do! . I am autistic and because of that I am a monster at times. However when I worked with mentally ill people they were like my brothers so I never once hurt them. I have retrained many but never hurt them. You did well. You must survive in the hospital. If you allow yourself to be hit, patients will learn it is fine to be violent against you. If you are not respected as a fair person by the patients you will be hurt more often until you leave the profession. If the good people leave the profession of caring for the mentally disturbed who does that leave. You are a vital resource to those patients you help. The patients can not afford to lose you....Show more
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