Nurse attacked at hospital

A nurse, who was simply trying to perform her duties, was left bloodied and bruised after being brutally attacked by a patient at a hospital in the Corporate Area on Saturday evening.

The nurse, who has been working in the field for four years, asked that her name and place of employment remain confidential out of fear she could be attacked once more.

She said that Saturday's terrifying incident unfolded after a young man sought treatment for vomiting blood. The standard procedure required is inserting a nasogastric (NG) tube, which she explained to the patient. Though uncomfortable, she noted it was necessary for his treatment.

"I explained the process to him, and he said he understood. He even mentioned that he'd done it before," she recalled. "But as soon as I positioned the tube at the tip of his nose, he grabbed my hand, cutting and scraping me, then pushed me, and started threatening to kill me."

Despite the shocking attack, the nurse managed to flee to safety, opened the door of the treatment room and ran into a passageway. Security personnel rushed to the scene, but the patient's violent behaviour escalated. He grabbed an IV drip stand and threw it, narrowly missing her and a child under one year old.

The patient's mother allegedly defended his actions initially, accusing the nurse of improper treatment. However, when pressed by a doctor, she revealed the young man's history of mental illness, a crucial detail that had not been shared earlier.

"As the doctor told her, had we known about his history, we would have taken steps to ensure the safety of everyone involved," the nurse said, expressing frustration that the lack of information had placed her and others at unnecessary risk.

The chaos continued, as the patient, even after being restrained and escorted out of the emergency department, continued making threats. He stood at the entrance, shouting violent threats and vowing to return and harm the nurse.

"Him call me all sort a names, big p***y gyal, and tell mi how him a guh b********t kill mi, how him have him gun a road, and how as soon as mi step through the gate him a guh kill mi," she explained, adding that the incident left her traumatised.

"I was really scared, and I genuinely feared for my life because the situation escalated so quickly and violently," she recounted.

After being treated for her injuries, the nurse reported the incident to her superiors. Although police were called, the patient managed to flee before they arrived.

The nurse told THE STAR that the incident highlights the growing challenges healthcare workers face. She said that at the hospital where she works, threats of violence and verbal abuse have become a daily reality for her and her colleagues.

"Every day, we are threatened, cursed at, and told we'll be killed," she said. "We're just trying to do our jobs, but it feels like there's always a target on our backs."

"As soon as my shift is over, I leave immediately. I don't feel safe. Even parking my car feels risky, because I don't know who might be watching me," she added.

While the nurse remains committed to her profession, she is calling for better security measures in hospitals and a greater understanding of the risks healthcare workers endure.

"We're breaking our backs for these patients, and yet we're painted as the problem. It's disheartening to hear government officials say we lack care and compassion when they spend only minutes in the hospital and don't see the reality we face every day," she said.

"Something has to change, because we can't keep working like this. We're humans, too," she said.