Australian Nurse Tackles Violent Patient, Highlights Healthcare Worker Safety
A viral video of a nurse subduing an aggressive patient brings attention to the increasing rates of assault against healthcare workers.
An Australian nurse, who previously served in the Army, has spoken out about an incident where he subdued a violent patient, an event captured on CCTV that gained significant public attention.
Dan Nelson, now an emergency department nurse at Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital, became known as the 'Jiu-Jitsu nurse' after releasing footage from two years prior. The video depicted him wrestling an aggressive drunk American tourist to the ground until security arrived. Nelson stated that the incident, while serious, was not isolated and highlighted the daily dangers faced by frontline healthcare workers.
"This is probably the most aggressive assault that I've had. However, during my time in the public health system, I've been sworn at, spat at, kicked at," Nelson said in an interview. He sought to release the footage through the Freedom of Information Act to increase awareness and ensure that nurses' experiences are acknowledged.
The patient who attacked Nelson was an American tourist who had become aggressive and was asked to leave the hospital. As Nelson escorted him out, the tourist threw a bag, hitting Nelson in the nose, and then attempted to punch him. Nelson described his actions as a reaction based on his military and jiu-jitsu training.
Nelson served two tours in Iraq and Afghanistan as an Army nurse, and his extensive training in jiu-jitsu proved crucial in handling the assault. He recounted being drawn to help his colleagues after hearing the tourist yelling and swearing at staff around 2 a.m.
"We go to work to help people. We go there to care for people and help them out when they're at the most vulnerable, or potentially having the worst day of their life," Nelson stated. "It's just not an assault on me, it's an assault on a health care workers, it's an assault on nurses. There needs to be accountability."
The American tourist pleaded guilty to common assault and was fined $450. Nelson hopes that sharing his experience will draw attention to a growing problem in healthcare facilities.
Data indicates a significant rise in assaults on hospital workers, with assault-related hospitalizations for healthcare workers more than doubling in the last decade. In the 2024-25 financial year, there were 126 assault-related hospitalizations, compared to 49 in the 2015-16 financial year. Assault is now the second-leading cause of injury-related hospitalization for healthcare workers.
Nelson and other advocates are calling for improved security measures and staffing levels in hospitals to better protect medical personnel. He emphasized that while he is not a hero, frontline healthcare workers are the true heroes in society.