Sometimes, when we don’t get what we want in short order, we can become irritated. Throw situational stressors into the mix and some people can lose what’s left of their patience, causing a verbal or even physical confrontation.
That is what happened with a man who was awaiting his mother’s test results.
In an August 8, 2016, article in the UK Mirror, reporter Kelly–Ann Mills describes a horrific moment at Zhongnan Hospital in Wuhan, China, when a patient’s son punched a pregnant nurse in the face.
The 34-year-old nurse was taking care of an elderly woman suffering from aphasia - having trouble speaking. Aphasia is one of the signs of a stroke, and there are a number of things that should be done quickly in order to help the patient. Administering a CAT scan is paramount in order to see if there is any bleeding in the head. In most cases the scan itself doesn’t take long, but results then need to be read by a radiologist in order to determine whether or not there is bleeding.
Following the scan, the patient’s son asked about the results. He became angry when he was told he had to wait for the scan to be read. He rushed toward the 34-year-old pregnant nurse and was heard saying, “I dare you say that again.” The other nursing staff tried to protect their colleague, and even told this man that the nurse was pregnant to see if that would calm him down. His responded, “So what if you are pregnant?” and then punched the pregnant healthcare worker in the face, breaking her tooth and causing a concussion.
Security detained the man, and when police arrived he was arrested.
The hospital, in a heroic show of support for its workers, criticized the suspect’s actions, calling for “more tolerance towards the hard working men and women in the medical profession.” Despite an apology issued by the perpetrator, the hospital stated they would still be taking legal action on behalf of their injured employee.
This distressing incident should never have happened.
And, regrettably, there are surely some individuals who might be thinking, Gosh darn it! Shouldn’t the staff have done something to get those test results faster? He was waiting and should have gotten the information right away!
Still, I am heartened by the fact that this hospital values and supports its employees, and demonstrates its support with not just words, but actions.
Sheila Wilson R.N.BSN MPH
President, Stop Healthcare Violence
www.stophealthcareviolence.org
President, Stop Healthcare Violence
www.stophealthcareviolence.org
Source:
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/pregnant-nurse-punched-face-patients-8587806
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