Ol' crusty got a question here recently:
Crusty (ER TECH), any thoughts on combative patients and ER staff being hesitant to help out to restrain them?
I apologize for the late reply. Every situation is different. Sometimes with enough patience you can talk them down which if possible should be the first thing you do. I highly recommend "Verbal Judo" by George Thompson. Pick up the book and give it a good read and try to re-read it once a year. When I worked the ambu for a major west of the Mississippi river urban agency they sent us all through the training, it changed how I dealt with difficult and violent patients.
You can't always talk them down though and sometimes no matter what you say the pt is altered via a substance of their choice or mental illness (or both) and it'll be go time.
I gotta buddy who works in a left coast state who told me they have an overhead page for a violent page where all males in the area show up to help restrain the violent pt. and there is a standing order for chemical restraints in that situation.
Where I work at we have a crack security staff who get in there and really do the job.
One really shitty I worked at we had terrible security that just patrolled the parking lots and if a pt really got out of hand the charge nurse would call the cops which may take forever.
Along the way I have learned a series of wrist locks and holds that help control a violent patient. If you wanna go that way I recommend getting trained. People are reluctant to get involved because let's face it's a hospital and we're there to heal not wrastle with pts. Besides that staff often is not trained on how to deal with this type of situation hence the hesitation.
If it is a huge concern organize some fellow staff members and propose a solution to manglement. Then once you propose something dig in and don't let up til they resolve the problem. Never tell someone about a problem unless there is a solution.
Bruh, if ya got more questions about this drop me an email and I'll give ya some more idears.
Above all dude stay safe. Never go in to restrain a pt with less than 5 people (one for each limb one for the head) We prefer 7 one for each limb one for the head one to apply restraints and one to supervise, talk to pt calmly and to medicate. remember I currently work in a very large urban hospital with a shit ton of resources. Other places are not so fortunate
I cannot stress that enough BE SAFE BE SAFE BE SAFE.
Ol' Crusty has got a shift today soas the kids say" I'm outtie". Take care out there.
hopefully that helped you out and some others
