Anyone in inpatient psych, secure units, prison work?

[Twoshoesnewshoes]

I work on an inpatient psychiatric ward, senior, quite a lot of patient contact.
there are regular (maybe once or twice a week) assaults on staff from patients, mainly to our poor nursing colleagues.
i got hurt this week in an assault. It’s really shaken me up. The patient was a very very strong, angry male, it was an indirect assault (like someone throwing something and it hitting someone) but I am a bit injured.
i have a really vulnerable back, I avoid lots of activities to protect my back.
im really worried now that something like this will happen again and ill be badly hurt.
im well paid (in my estimation) around £65k.
if i move to a different area that im interested in it would be at least a £20k drop - which is around £700 a month.
i feel trapped now, i know ill feel a bit more blase about it all again soon but what is the cost of safety?

My friends DD works in a prison that houses only sex offenders. She told me that some of the prisoners make her feel uncomfortable as they look at her like she is prey. I told her quite frankly she is prey. My friend said her DD was about to lead a session where she was the only member of staff, how that is allowed to happen I have no idea.

I also know two police officers that have definitely been assaulted multiple times but of course they are seen on MN as awful.

My sisters partner works in one of the high security units that house mentally ill people who have convictions, not Broadmoor but one of the others, there are a few scattered round the country and has been assaulted on more than one occasion. But he stays and like yourself can earn far more there.

Someone has to do the thankless job of looking after or dealing with people who really can harm them. I was attacked when I was nursing many years ago, not badly but honestly wrestling with drug addicts on the floor was not what I signed up for.

I know a nurse who was diagnosed with PTSD as a patient attacked her and her colleague with a pair of scissors, this was in an A&E dept. She never managed to return but thankfully found a job working as an occupational health nurse for a large company having had almost a year off work.

The young think they can change the world and make it a better place, I certainly did. I became jaded by life and changed careers. I liked having a job where I didn’t have to worry about my safety.

A shout out also to teachers, my friend has been threatened by pupils in the ‘challenging’ comprehensive she works in.

So I do think you are not even a bit unreasonable to consider giving up what is a thankless but needed job.

@AdverseCambers thats really awful. So many people on the front line.
i usually feel safe enough at work but i do feel a bit anxious about going in now.
worried that my back will go and it would be very serious this time.

I did this work for fifteen years. I think you just reach a point where you are either hardened to it or you can't do it anymore. I chose to leave. This was about ten years ago now and I have not once regretted it. My understanding from those who still work in these areas is that it is worse than it ever was for sheer numbers of assaults and the levels of fear in staff.

I took a 20k pay cut, but it was worth every penny. I'm now back up to the same level of pay in a public sector management job with no front line contact. It is stressful at times, but I always say that I'm just grateful that I only get figurative shit thrown at me these days, rather than literal.

Thanks @Egglio , I hadn’t considered that my pay will then hopefully increase in a new role.
I enjoy the work I just don’t want to get injured.

I worked in a mens prison for 7 years in the medical unit and was never once assaulted.

I've done just over a decade in drug work and another decade in mental health. While I was never physically attacked I have been in some dodgy situations especially as a lone worker doing home visits and had to think very quickly to keep myself safe. I've worked in a custody suite, done sessions at bail hostels and in the local jail, guess I have been lucky. I am retired now and hear from colleagues who I am still friends with that things are getting worse re staff safety, I don't think the huge cuts that the trust is making helps and I know that staff morale is very low. As a woman I have been at the recieving end of sexual comments from male patients but thankfully nothing worse than that. I think that staff burnout, they are expected to do more and more with very limited resources, the wards are not places of recovery, they are places of medication and containment due to the huge pressures on services.

Yes, it’s not inevitable, and most people in my area of work do not experience assault, at least definitely not as much as the nurses.
i just feel very vulnerable because of my back.
maybe i need to ask a slightly different question in health?

I've worked in men's prisons for healthcare for a few years - it's much safer than my Community job!

Yes some sex offenders are creepy, most aren't and tbh at least the ones in prison have been caught.

Also until recently a prison worker and also felt safer working in custody than community. I largely worked with people convicted of sexual offending but not exclusively, as often people have multiple offending histories including general violence or domestic violence.

i did group work and 1:1 work and groups should always have 2 staff in them. I’ve never felt under threat at all.

In my experience (and it’s only my experience) I’d say it’s different for operational staff who often bear the brunt of the conflict with violent offenders.

Sorry to hear about your experience, it must make you feel very wary.

Thanks all
its difficult, I’m often wandering around the ward (well, walking through the corridors on my way to somewhere) so it can be very unpredictable as to when something will kick off.

If it were me and it’s taking a toll on your wellbeing (I’ve been there in a different role) I think I’d take the financial hit and try and move to a different role maybe.

I work on an acute ward and there is one particular colleague on another acute ward who has been assaulted many times. It is starting to take it's toll for them mentally and very little support given to them.
I haven't been assaulted but if I was in your position with a vulnerable back then I'd change jobs. You only get one back and it could potentially affect/ruin the rest of your life.

That is, if you can afford a paycut. Even then, I'd still move. It's worth piece of mind. You must be stressed worrying if anything could happen and it could in a split second just by being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

I'm presuming you don't have to get involved in PMVA?
You don't need me to tell you this of course. Go with your gut.

I've done years of inpatient mental health units and now I'm out of it, I wouldn't go back

I felt like I was either dishing out medication or dealing with incidents. I started to hate it and wanted to quit nursing after 20 years ...It was awful

I now work for the mental health team in a prison. Its still stressful and hard, very busy with a caseload of patients but I actually get to do work with them on a group and one to one basis and its the prison staff who respond to incidents. I also like knowing there is other people (prison staff, chaplaincy, safer custody) looking out for their day to day wellbeing, unlike community roles

I feel safer in the prison than I did on the ward, both in terms or risk to me and the risk my patients pose to themselves

I am "only" band 6 though so a big pay drop for you .. however its 9-5 and only minimum weekend work (about 3 weekends a year)

An ex-colleague’s dad was a prison officer in a high-security men’s prison. He’s a big strong man, who ended up retiring early on medical grounds due to assault. Yes there was a pay out but imo no money is worth a healthy spine.

Thank you all, it’s really helpful
@Historyonaplate yes it’s exactly that - unlikely to happen but everything could change in a second.

I had an update today - apparently the patient had deliberately attempted to hurt me, he was shouting about me being a ‘f*cking bitch’ before the incident .
he has been moved off the ward now but it all feels a bit late

Sorry to hear that. One of my colleagues was targeted but they did it in a more covert way. Can't say as would be very outing for them although I don't think they're likely to be on here.
Don't know whats worse really whether it's a general dislike of the system by a patient or a pointed dislike. Sometimes can be one little aspect like you remind them of someone they dislike etc. At least they've been moved. Hopefully you'll get the support you need.
Look after yourself.