Not sure if this is corona related, i feel like patients and families are getting more and more aggressive towards the staff. Three times this week alone i had to call for security.
First girl earlier this week brings in her baby because she DROPPED him....4weeks old. I go to get them, first words...”Its about bleeping time!” After the scan, she asks what the lead apron was for, “to protect you from the radiation”. “Oh you didnt tell me you were giving us radiation you bleeping bleep bleep.” All up in my face threatening me with physical harm, because apparently i should have gotten informed consent for the xrays. (Well maybe you shouldnt have dropped your newborn on a tile floor you bleeping bleep
) <i didnt say that lol.
Next woman, there with her 17 y/o for menstrual problems, in the middle of the night. Shes mad that i wont let her back behind the glass with me. I gave her three options...stay in the room with your daughter, i can take you back to the er to wait, or i can get you a chair to wait outside the door. Nothing was good enough. She was ready for a fight the minute i walked into the room to get them. Poor kid kept asking her to stop. All i could do is stand there listening to her telling me how shes gonna kick my (butt) and F my HIPPA rules. She saw my name on my badge and kept pacing back and forth like a caged animal repeating my first and last name over and over (i really hate having my last name on my badge for this reason). She also accused me of exposing them to covid because i had only one mask on and not two. Neither of them had masks on, and declined when i gave them masks...
Last night....guy who got beat up with .....antlers (????) true story lol. That transpired with a woman that he caught in the act with another man. That went from zero to sixty quick when i got him into my department. I was still putting my gloves on when he started screaming that i wacked him in the head “with that” he pointed at...the pillow?? Lol. Started yelling that his head was bleeding because i hit him with the pillow. Ok we can give him credit, it was a foam pillow lol, but it also could have been caused by ummmm, the antlers she beat him up with???
All 3 times i just called over to the er to have the police to come over...no fanfare. I could have called a code “gray”, which means its a big deal and someone is getting arrested in the end. I just assume or hope that they are just stressed about being in the hospital to begin with. Having police presence usually calms it down, except last nights guy, but at least i wasnt the next one “to go out tonight in a body bag“ as he promised...
Apparently they are all going to have my job on monday...lol. Take it at this point. You can have it. I am exhausted
I do think this is covid related. Its is just progressively getting worse. People are so much more angry or aggressive lately. Maybe the state of affairs? In 25 years i have never felt so threatened in my job.