"I never experienced an aggressive or combative patient during my time in clinicals. I think it's first important to understand the types of patients that you work with and to be aware of health issues that may cause a person to act out. For example, do they have a mental health disorder, documented patterns of aggression, or do they perhaps suffer from confusion or a type of dementia? If you are aware of this information before caring for a patient, you can take steps to be proactive or be on alert. If it's unexpected, you may want to understand if they are having a reaction of some type, perhaps a negative side effect to a new medication, so it's important to seek treatment for them immediately. If a patient were to get physical with me, I would immediately alert my supervisor and find another staff member to assist me, as well as document the incident."

"Most of my background includes experience working with those with developmental and cognitive disabilities. Because of this, I have experienced many times when a patient has been combative, and I have been slapped and even had my hair pulled. It's important that as a nurse, you don't take these types of behaviours personally, that you do everything possible to reduce the risk of this occurring, and you take precautions to protect yourself at all times. This includes being alert, never letting your guard down, and knowing the warning signs of an agitated patient, and knowing when to give them space or how to de-escalate the situation. Never put yourself in a situation where you're confined in close quarters with a patient who has these tendencies or put yourself in a situation where they have access to sharp items that could cause you harm."