Nurses embody compassion, empathy, and love in their everyday interactions with patients, making them an indispensable part of healthcare. However, their safety is often compromised in the line of duty, particularly in today's climate of heightened tensions and workplace violence. As a former U.S. Marine Corps veteran and someone who grew up in a violent environment, I’ve seen firsthand the...

The real danger is not knowing what will happen after you are grabbed.  Healthcare environments personal,  private, and confined spaces, so being grabbed is a common danger all healthcare professionals face.  Click here to read an example: ER nurse at The Villages hospital attacked by naked man

In Healthcare the areas you work in are closed and confined spaces. Getting tripped, pushed, or tackled to the ground, or grabbed in the front or behind and pushed into furniture or equipment, or grabbed from any direction, thereby  limiting your ability to escape can end badly. 

 In Healthcare, as in most professional settings, people typically speak in a low volume to respect others needs for privacy, concentration, and communication.    

When an attacker grabs you, it creates a situation that is dangerous on so many levels.  Grabs can quickly escalate to a fight, including the use of weapons.  Once grabbed, the victim is severely and instantly limited in their ability to escape or defend.  

All grabs are dangerous due to all the unknowns that may follow, meaning what might come next in the form of a follow-up attack. During any...

Problem:

People can deal with hunger for days and thirst for hours, but we can only manage being deprived of our next breath of air for a couple of minutes. That is why smothering sends a person so quickly into a blind panic, whenever they are forced to fight for their next precious breath of air. 

Unlike shooting from a distance or even stabbing during a sudden assault, smothering is a very...

No work is more personal and intimate than healthcare and working inside a hospital means you are always up close and personal with your customers. In fact, healthcare workers are so close to their work that managing their personal safety comes second to their patients needs. If you are unable to manage your distance and positioning, as say in our training, then you are more than likely going...

Ever been spat on? Nothing can change the conversation like spitting on someone. It's gross, disgusting, inexcusable, illegal, and perhaps the highest display of disrespect that someone can make towards another human being. Make no mistake about it, spitting on someone is an assault, just the same as punching or kicking them. And the response to any assault should be consistent and in...

The old saying, “You speak volumes before the first word is spoken,” couldn’t be truer!  As a personal safety expert and defensive tactics trainer with over 30 plus years of training and experience in law enforcement, corrections and the United States Marine Corps, I have often read assault victim reports, in which when asked what happened, the person shrugs, “I don’t know, he just punched me.”