By Maija Anderson, DNP, RN, and Mary Bailey, DNP, RN, APN

Have Nurses Turned a Blind Eye? Abuse of patients in the custody of law enforcement officials is not acceptable.

late summer 2005 a mental health personnel in the police officer in Chicago identification of victims of police was charged with aggra- brutality and an appropriate vated battery and official means of reporting such events.” misconduct after a hospi- Perhaps nursing can follow suit. Ital surveillance video showed Consider taking the following him beating an intoxicated actions: patient who was shackled to a • Talk with colleagues. What is wheelchair while waiting for ED an appropriate use of force? treatment. The police had been What is excessive? called when the patient was “not Maija Anderson • Provide education on the cooperating with hospital staff,” excessive use of force, nurses’ according to the January 19, responsibilities, and how to 2006, Chicago Sun-Times. In report such incidents. November 2006 the patient was • Collaborate with correctional awarded $125,000, and the facilities, police departments, Chicago Police Department was hospitals, and clinics to estab- seeking to fire the officer. lish protocols for responding This is just one example of an to such incidents. excessive use of force, which the • Host joint information sessions International Association of with community members Chiefs of Police defines as “the Mary Bailey and law enforcement officials; application of an amount and/or nurses are trusted by both frequency of force greater than groups and are therefore well- that required to compel compli- suited to this task. ance from a willing or unwilling Nurses should be But before the issue can be subject.” According to the resolved, nurses need to honor Bureau of Justice Statistics, such reporting these abuses their legal, moral, and ethical force resulted in 1,095 arrest- when treating victims. obligation to be their patients’ related deaths by law enforce- advocates. Input from nurse ment officers between 2003 and ethicists and attorneys who work 2005. with this population would be Despite media reports of valuable. Since nurses in many excessive use of force, health care a complex issue; children, the different practice settings see this professionals have been resound- elderly, and victims of domestic form of abuse, why shouldn’ ingly mute on the topic. Nurses violence who are receiving treat- they be involved in reporting and care for patients whose injuries ment typically haven’t been preventing it? Nursing takes a may be the result of such abuse, accused of committing crimes stand on many other issues. Why but while they’re mandated to themselves. The nurse must be not this one? report abuse in children and the the patient’ advocate regardless elderly, there is no systematic of what that person has been Maija Anderson is an assistant profes- protocol for responding when accused—or convicted—of. sor at the University of the District of Columbia in Washington, DC. Mary patients are hospitalized because The Student National Medical Bailey is a nurse at Provena Covenant of excessive use of police force. Association and the American Medical Center in Urbana, IL. This We suggest, therefore, that the Public Health Association (APHA) article was written while both were care of such patients should par- have taken positions against professors at Saint Xavier University School of Nursing in Chicago. Contact allel the care provided to victims police brutality; the APHA has author: Maija Anderson, mranderson@ of other types of violence. This is urged the “training of health and udc.edu. [email protected] AJN M December 2007 M Vol. 107, No. 12 11