Registered Nurse Employment Positions

A nurse recently asked me about her rights at work. She said: “What am I supposed to do if a patient touches me inappropriately?” 

On the face of it, this seems like a simple question. But when several nurses asked me the same question about the same patient, it led me to believe that nurses often spend so much time protecting the rights of patients that they (nurses) forget that they also have rights.

According to the ANA Bill of Rights for Nurses, “Nurses have the right to a work environment that is safe for themselves and for their patients,” among other things. View the ANA’s stance on the issue at www.nursingworld.org. The Bill of Rights sets forth expectations for the workplace environment. Any behavior that is considered offensive or fails to respect the rights of others is a form of harassment.

Experience shows that a number of considerations sometimes prevent nurses from addressing harassment from patients: fear that no one will believe the report; concern that what the patient did was not intentional; and even embarrassment or failure to recognize that this type of behavior will not be tolerated.

Clarian has a zero-tolerance policy for harassment from patients or co-workers, and a policy exists to define the expectations when someone experiences this type of behavior.

The short answer to the original question is: Immediately report any harassing behaviors to your supervisor and/or an employee relations consultant. Any nurse reporting such behavior should expect a timely confidential investigation and an action plan to resolve the situation. 

At the very least, the nurse reporting the behavior should expect a person in authority to speak with the offending individual AND expect to hear the outcome of the investigation, including what plans are in place to protect you in the future.

In most cases, having an individual in authority speak to the patient effectively resolves the behavior. If you do not report the behavior, no one can help you and it likely will continue – if not with you, then with others.

Lucia Wocial

Registered Nurse Jobs in Indiana - Call a Clarian Recruiter at 877-354-2996 or 317-962-2600.