Nurses fighting back on workplace violence

I cannot even fathom nurses who are professionals squaking about "sick" patients being combative and injuring them...
Oh how things have changed since I was out in the Nursing work-force...I have been kicked across a room into a cement wall...bitten so badly I had to be admitted to the hospital for antiobiotic I.V's...slapped, kicked, and you name it...
These are sick patients or they would not be in facilities ...right?
It makes me sick to my stomach that they nurses of today are NOT going to tolerate it...shame on all of you,...maybe you would be better off in an office or teaching...
I made it all the way through to 37 years in the field...isn't it all about compassion? Where is Yours??

Why don't those nurses file police charges against such assaults?

In response to the above comment by Cynthia Flanagan: What I cannot fathom is that you have comfortably shamed our profession by your statement that being used as a punching bag is "part of our job" because of our choice of occupation. Just because we are on the front lines as caregivers does not mean that we are a professional punching bag to any and every person who decide they may want to hurt us.
As a previous victim of a severe workplace violence incident, I resent your comments and the way you boast of your incidents of suffering workplace violence like it is an expected part of the job that you are proud of!!! There are some patients who don't mean to injure or harm us and that is a different situation however, many know exactly what they are doing and your posting gives them a big stamp of approval.
Shame on YOU for tarnishing this profession and sending a message that we are punching bags and should accept every beating as "part of our job". You should familiarize yourself with "nurses rights" as well as the OSHA standards and guidelines that afford us the right to work in a safe environment. You should also know that getting beat up in an office or while teaching isn't tolerated either so you are clearly misguided. Compassion you say.................what do you know about compassion? Nurses are out there to help, not to be injured and abused by patients. Based on the content and subject matter of your posting I tend to believe that you are a nursing administrator????? Either way you should be ashamed of yourself for your posting and for your lack of compassion for nurses who are injured while trying to help.

The law enforcement view of violence against nurses: I have responded too many times to nurses being assaulted at local hospitals. Ms. Flanagan, because I am a police officer, is it part of my job to be assaulted? I think not..Nurses are there to CARE for patients, not be punched, bitten, or spit upon.Compassion has nothing to do with being a punching bag for anyone at anytime. Your view is the most bizarre posted comment that I have ever read. I am the husband of a nurse that was brutally assaulted in an ER setting. Who are YOU to judge other Nurses for not tolerating workplace violence? This is 2008 where district attorneys offices form knowledgeable staff and create task forces to prevent workplace violence. Maybe you should contact one and sit it on a meeting or two. Here's my answer to you: maybe when YOU suffer a butal assault that is life altering to YOU while at work, you'll think twice about judging other nurses. Do us all a favor retire, its your time to GO!! Here in Massachusetts we are working tirelessly to enhance our laws for increased penalties to people who assault nurses!!! It is people like you that create the nursing shortage that exists today that is manufactured by poor working conditions and lack of support on such issues as workplace violence!!

Well Ms Flanagan, I worked in questionable settings in the inner city of Detroit among drug dealers, crack heads, and the local homeless shelters for almost 30 years as a home care nurse. Much of the population you have incountered; yet I can say I was professional enough that never once was I threateded, abused, hit, or even frightened. I pride my self that my education, professionalism, demure, self confidence, quick wit, and sense of humor, prevented many flair ups from the mental deficits others suffered. I fear your poor self esteem and lack of knowledge caused many of the problems you encountered. However, because you lacked the ability to handle crisis situations with patients, is no one's fault that you came to accept abuse as part of your job except your own. Others should not expect abuse at the hands of patients. With good people skills and knowledge that the nursing profession imparts in thier education, nurses should be able to handle MOST situations without the abuse. Further more, i would want to know if the population was medicated properly and if not, what was the physician in charge doing and where were the attendents? I fear that I have to agree with the Officer Dave, please retire or go back to school and learn how to handle crisis situations, but don't expect others should accept brutality as part of the job discription. There are rules and laws for that and your institution and physicians ignored. They also should be held accountable.

WOW! I am doing research for a paper on workplace violence against nurses when I came across this blog and I have to day I am horribly offended and astounded that any nurse would shame others for not tolerating violence. How dare Ms. Flanagan say that I am not a professional and without compassion for not wanting to be hurt.
Three years ago the state of New Mexico made it a felony to assult a nurse in the workplace and I hope that other states will follow suit. Nurses should NOT tolerate violence and I am truly sorry for Ms Flanagan that can obvioulsy not tell the difference between compassion and battered womens syndrome.

This only shows how the nursing profession has evolved into a profession. Gone are the days when we were the doctor's servants (Is this why the White House classification for nursing is in the same category as that of the household help?). Gone are the days when we allow ourselves to be abused and hurt because we "think" that it is part of our job. Yes, we discharge our duties with compassion and care but we also value our right to a safe environment as mandated by the American Nurses Association Bill of Rights (2002).