A nurse at one of Australia's busiest hospitals used his jiu-jitsu skills to restrain a violent patient, an incident captured on CCTV that the nurse hopes will highlight the issue of aggression against healthcare workers. The event occurred nearly two years ago at the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital.
Daniel Nelson, a registered nurse, was escorting a patient out of the emergency department after the individual had verbally abused staff. According to Nelson, the patient then threw an object at him and charged. Nelson's martial arts training allowed him to overpower the man and hold him on the ground until security and colleagues arrived.
Nelson shared the footage to emphasize that violence against healthcare workers is unacceptable. "Violence against healthcare workers isn't 'just part of the job.' It's unacceptable. Alcohol is no excuse," Nelson stated in a social media post accompanying the video. He questioned what might have happened if the patient had attacked a less physically capable staff member.
More than 16,000 violent incidents targeting hospital healthcare workers were recorded across Queensland last year, according to the Nurses Professional Association Queensland. Nelson noted that healthcare professionals are present to help all individuals, including those who are intoxicated, and should not expect to face abuse or assault.
The patient involved, who was 28 at the time, was charged with serious assault of a public officer. He was later fined $450, The Courier Mail reported. Nelson was on a contract at Metro North Health at the time of the incident and no longer works at that hospital.
The CCTV footage has garnered over 1.3 million views online.