I’m a nurse. And a couple years after nursing school I was pulled to work in the psych ward for a few hours, because of critical short staffing. Never worked there, should have refused, but new nurse and wanting to be a team player.
Was told by senior psych nurse to ask a client returning from a day pass to put his personal belongings and have been to go and lock up(the belongings, not the patient). He puts his wallet, keys, cigarettes into the bin, and I noticed he’s holding something in his hand and slightly turning away like he’s hiding something (I’m thinking it’s drugs or cigs). I asked him what he’s got in his hand, and he lunges at me and slashes my leg with a box cutter.
Security called , pt put in seclusion, trip to the ER and a 4” gash requiring over a dozen stitches on my left thigh(thank goodness for thick thighs, no veins or arteries were severed).
After I’m done in the emergency department, I go back to my unit to dBrief with my unit manager. She asks if I’m OK, I tell her it doesn’t hurt much I’m just a little shaken up. She then promptly asked if I would please finish my shift out on the MedSurg ward, because we are shortstaffed.
This is how nurses are treated. Psych patient was never arrested.