geordie mandy

Im doing an OU course (Care, Welfare and Community) and have a few questions for those of you woking in either nursing roles or social workers role.
Have you been threatend while carrying out your work?
Have you been phyisically attacked?
If yes to either what support did you get from collegues/managers.

Also did this happen in the UK or Australia?


I couldn't fit the option if it happened in oz or Uk, so if you could add it to your post , also what field you are in.
Thank you in advance
Mandy

Donna&Neil

Hi Mandy I work in mental health and sorry to say yes I have been threatened and physically assaulted in my workplace. Generally excellent support from colleagues however support from mangers could be variable. I am referring to the UK. Not a problem so far in Oz, however the environment I work in here is a different speciality.

Donna

katamina

I work in forensic Mental health & Learning Disability in the UK - violence can be a fairly daily occurrance in both, but at my workplace, we do tend to take very challenging individuals.

Most support is colleague based, but if there's a major incident, there's usually a debrief.

CarolineW

Kat
Can I ask what "forensic" means in this role? I have never heard it used before- is it a new qualification?

katamina

Hi Caroline

Basically offenders of varying description - anything from ABH through to sex offenders, murder.

It's really interesting stuff.....honest!

asher

I have been assaulted badly in my career first time fractured skull and whiplash from a hypoxic patient. very little support no compensation as no blame 6 months off work.


second time patient grabbed me by the neck I am left permanently disabled I was left on my own in A&E with a suspected fractured neck! again no compensation as no blame!

both in UK supported by colleagues not management

work in acute medicine

doje6863

I am currnetly working with the homeless. The majority of my clients have either psy ilness of some description or drug/alcohol abuse or combination of all three! I feel totally protected by these clients. I honestly believe that if I was threatened by a new client, the others would totally stick up for me. In fact today, a young bloke high on god knows what tried to kiss me(!) and the others threatened to kill him. I think they were joking...

donna

geordie mandy

Thank you to all of you who have filled in this poll. It makes me quite sad to think this is a reality for many of you. Have not nursed for some while it has come a bit of a shock to the system to hear these comments.
It has certainly helped me to understand more about the stress those in health care face.
I have luckily only been attacked once and that was by a confused patient in a nursing home, i had my glasses smashed and recieved no compensation from the home and as the patient died the following day i was not going to pursue the family. ( As that was what the manager of the home said i had to do)

well back to my books
Mandy

madmidwife

Yes there is violence in all areas of care work. When I worked in London, we had to call police to escort a husband off the postnatal ward. About two weeks ago a community midwife in her 20's was leaving a homebirth in Peterborough when she was attacked and left unconscious in stairwell. Her bag was taken - we no longer carry opioid drugs but I guess the criminal wasn't aware of this.:curse:

Sally Simpson

This was in the UK, on a surgical ward. We admitted a drunk down & out during the night & he punched me in the face. Colleagues were supportive but no action was taken against the chap.
Have had plenty of verbal cr*p too & felt intimidated on several occasions.
I work in the community now & thankfully have not had to deal with too much lately but I have colleagues, dealing with child safety issues, who have recently had serious threats made & it has not been taken seriously by our GP colleagues which is very dissapointing.

Kapri

I work in mental health in the U.K
I have been attacked verbally and physically (although thankfully never seriously hurt).
I have had patients threaten to kick my baby out of me when pregnant. Also had patients say they hoped my baby died.
Colleagues tend to be supportive (but not consultant psychiatrists ).

I have known colleagues be seriously assaulted. One male friend was strangled, one lovely lady was beaten to a pulp and hospitalised. I've seen colleagues be punched and bitten.

steve`o

my wife worked for social services in the uk doing amongst other things respite for families with people with learning difficulties / mental heath problems

she got badly beaten up by one of her charges and social services ( friggin social workers ) threaterned to sack her for defending herself - apparently physically stopping some one from kicking the shit out of is assault / abuse

wtf ???

Sally Simpson

It's just aswell that we are so well rewarded financially isn't it?

steve`o

yeah with a that influx of cash we have been able to buy a second ............





















hand cheese grater

geordie mandy

OMG Steve that is so shocking, i cant believe the lack of support she had.

Is your wife returning to similar work now you are in oz?
Mandy