At 3 AM, a man walks into your emergency department. He paces back and forth in the waiting area before he approaches staff to ask if he can see his wife, who is a patient on another floor
He speaks rapidly, his face is flushed, he glances around often, and he keeps his hand in his jacket pocket. A best initial response would be to: a. Assess your situation and your surround-ings.
b. Ask two or three staff to assist in con-fronting the individual.
c. Ask what floor his wife is on and remind him that visiting hours are closed.
d. Remain calm as there is no potential for violence here.
A
The behavior of the individual (flushed appearance, furtive glances, speed of speech) and the hand in his pocket suggest the potential for violence or aggression. The first step is to quickly assess your surroundings for others who might assist and for safety alarms.
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