I (32f) have had a wide experience during my different careers. A year ago I took on a retail position after getting laid off due to Covid; I finally decided it was time to move on. This place had its own issues but that’s for another day.
I was offered a job working in a medical setting, with mostly addicts and homeless. The pay was incredible, full benefits and pension. I had dealt with this demographic before so was not concerned; however I had zero experience working in any sort of clinical setting. The first day of orientation was reading a printed off set of rules and that was about it, I wasn’t given any paperwork regarding my credentials and what I truly would be dealing with.
My first day I had saved a man from an overdose, I thought it was incredible but really was just in shock in hindsight. This same man began harassing me over the next couple of days, he was supposed to be banned from the premises but there was no security to enforce any rules. He would squirt me with his blood and drugs, I complained and my coworkers laughed. The conditions of the place were disgusting and no where up to code for a medical setting.
On my fourth day I entered a room and received an injury which broke my skin and I bled. I went to the nurse and she looked up the patients record and he unfortunately had HIV, Hep C as well as Hep B which I have now been exposed to. When I left to go to the hospital the same patient who had harassed me was alone outside with me; he ended up grabbing me and dragging me off the street. I was able to get out of the head lock and luckily the taxi was right there. I was absolutely terrified, especially since there was no security and this particular place frowns on calling the cops as it affects the funding of this particular clinic. I went to the hospital and the Doctors were shocked I had been working in that environment with 4 hours training and zero medical experience.
The chances of infection are so low I’m not concerned about that part, however I at the time was unaware that I needed additional vaccinations before working in this clinic; which means I’m on some heavy duty medication that is making me incredibly ill but since I wasn’t vaccinated I’m a higher risk. I absolutely would’ve gotten these vaccines had I known. I’m also dealing with some serious PTSD from the incident and have no idea what to do next.
This clinic hires people to be pylons in order to keep the funding coming. They fudge paperwork and what the patients are doing in order to gain more money, stating services were offered that weren’t. Security companies are too scared to work there so they literally abandon the post—-I do not blame these people at all. Whenever I voiced my concern about the lack of security and the fact banned clients were allowed inside because that was easier than kicking them out was terrifying. I asked if I could call the cops if I needed to and was told it looked bad if we associated with cops, but I know better.
I kept this vague on purpose.