Forum

From the chat thingy on the front page:

# azazel : Hi all..not been on for a while…been busy with my PICU placment. Had my second attemtped assault in a week today. There’s definitely something dodgy about these Freaky Fridays. Anyway, as at the time the only option to avoid getting seriously whalloped was to run as fast as I could…that ’s what I did. I’m not sat there thinking that I really didn’t handle it well. Feeling pretty shit about it to be honest.

# azazel : That meant to say..”I’m sat here feeling pretty shit about it”. And I bloody cried in front of staff !!!

# azulinebloo : I hope the staff gave you proper support azazel? It must be quite a shock.

# azazel : Yes. My mentor was great and I had a chance to talk about it. Some others said that running away wasn’t a great idea…It seemed the only way at the time though. I’m still wondering how else I could have handled it…but I am convinced that if I hadn’t run down the corridor I would have ended up seriously hurt It wasn’t like a situation you could de-escalate as the patient just flew at me out of the blue !

# Mental Nurse : Running is the right thing to do. If it stops you being whalloped.

# azulinebloo : what did they suggest you should have done then? Lay down and taken a beating or hit them back?!!

# azazel : Thanks. Thats what I needed to hear. I doubt I would even remember all my fancy breakaway training with 20 odd stone sat on top of me anyway ! Ah well..tomorrow will be another day. Wonder if I could turn up in disguise cause this particular person seems to have singled me out. It’s all good experience though…I guess

# azazel : To Azulinebloo…My mentor said that I did what she would have done. I will remember to ask the other person what they suggest I should have done.

# Mental Nurse : Breakaway techniques are to … breakaway! So you can run. As an instructor we taught people if you can run. Run!

# Mental Nurse : Especially as a student. You should not be expected to do anything else.

# nephron : Running was certainly what I was taught. Much easier to deal with a situation before you get hurt.

# Mental Nurse : My first (almost) violent incident was a patient getting ready to throw (overhead) a big heavy wingback chair at me.

# Mental Nurse : I think I stood their making strange gasping noises and trying to look small and not intimidating at all. They took pity on me …

# Lou : I remember my previous consultant psychiatrist (now retired sadly) telling me that the best way of dealing with that sort of situation was to “show a clean pair of heels” i.e. run very, very fast. She told me a story about kicking off her heels and climbing out a window. She was Clinical Director of the entire unit so don’t feel bad Azazel!

# zarathustra : I’ve always been told as a student that my role in any kind of violent incident is to step back and let the full-time staff deal with it. Fair enough. Don’t feel bad about it Azazel. You’re in the business of keeping yourself safe, not of proving who’s the hardest.

# Mr Mans Wife : Am I right in thinking that the ones who said that running wasn’t a great idea are the ones who have red buttons ready to press so that everyone within a 50 mile radius comes running to their aid? Ignore them. They weren’t about to be assulted were they? They probably would have ran as well. Hugs for you You did good.