.....and Other Days You're The Statue

Thank you for this straightforward article. You spoke the truth with no frills!People do not think twice about disrespecting the nurse because they know that many of our employers discourage pressing charges. However, these same clowns would be readily kicked out of any other place of business for acting in a menacing manner toward the bank teller, theme park worker, flight attendant, or cashier.I can assure any one of you that the bank teller will not continue to serve the rude customer who threatens physical violence. Security is going to escort the customer out of the building before anything jumps off. Healthcare facilities need to get with the program and adopt a zero tolerance policy against workplace violence.Also, battering any healthcare worker needs to become a felony.

Thank you Viva and Commuter for speaking the truth. I think what distresses me the most about this attitude is that it is WE 'oldsters' who seem to be the ones so tuned into this disturbing change of public perception and treatment. The newbies are too much still in their 'poor me' mode and have not yet seen and/or been on the receiving end of this phenomenon, or they just don't recognize it. The number of us still on the front lines are on the decline and I don't see it changing in the future as it it stands now. Just my observation!

As a fresh nursing student with previous experience in retail, this article definitely makes me think. In retail, it is so true that we are supposed to act as if the customer is always right, even when they are wrong. The goal is to placate to the extreme so that the customer comes back to spend more money. Thankfully, as a sales person I have usually been able to leave it to the manager to smooth out the situation. I really don't know what the real world of nursing will look like for me yet, but I have been observing how people treat medical personnel whenever I am in a healthcare setting, and it is kind of scary. In the past decade it just seems like "manners" have gone out of fashion. People have forgotten how to say "Please" and "Thank you." Now it's "gimme this, gimme that" etc. It's exactly what you said... entitlement. I think it's worse some places than others, but the overall trend is the same everywhere.

Right on! Nurses everywhere must protect and advocate for themselves. Nurses (and other staff) must learn how to press charges if they are attacked...it is their right. Would a physician or hospital CEO take that treatment? No facility can tell you otherwise. No one will do it for us. I can't stress this enough.

The concept of "patient as customer" is an odd one to me and by using that model they are expecting nurses to provide high quality care with one hand tied behind our backs and with blindfolds on. The so called rules and scripts often go against what therapeutic communication entails and what one needs to do when dealing with abusive patients and family members. I just keep thinking about the concept of appeasment and basic human nature. Often When you appease bad behaviour (and this applies in war as well) the bad behaviour continues and often escalates..not ceases. So it is drawing the line clearly in the sand and being firm in your conviction that this behaviour will no longer be tolerated that the behaviour actually STOPS. I have seen it time and time again happen this way.

It's a felony in my state. Convicted her of 2 counts of battery on a health care worker, for biting me.She bit a security guard in the ED later, filed charges but the DA's office didn't notify the guard until the morning of the hearing, so he couldn't go. She got away with it that time.

Even though this attitude of customer service in place of therapeutic health care is prevalent there is a huge difference from how things are applied in the retail or hospitality industries compared to healthcare settings. Physical violence is generally not an issue in the retail or hospitality industries to the same extent that it is in healthcare settings. When physical violence does occur appeasement of the irate customer goes out the door to be replaced by intervention from security staff and/or the police. Somehow when the customer is always right mantra was imported someone neglected to consider the violence component. In addition as a society in general accountability and personal responsibility seem to be dirty little secrets anymore and viewed by many people as harsh or unacceptable. I have my personal theories as to why teaching about consequences and respect seem to be so unpopular but it has led to a rude society with a looters attitude of gimme gimme and screw everybody else because everyone has an "excuse" for acting like a spoiled brat. For me I am fortunate to not have to do direct patient care anymore but I never allowed and still do not allow someone to hurt me without defending myself or in some other fashion invoking a consequence for the violence directed towards me.

Quote from VivaLasViejas And the words "please" and "thank you" seem to have fallen out of favor, and replaced by "I need" and "I want".

Quote from TheCommuterAlso, battering any healthcare worker needs to become a felony.