Do You Think The Hospital Staff Did The Right Thing?! Do I Have Reason To Be Upset?!?
My girlfriend was raped walking home alone, a few months ago. The creep that attacked her left her in a parking lot, where she went uncouncious and woke up in an ambulance. She got into a huge panic attack, and when she was being transfered from the gurney to a hospital bed she managed to slip away and ran a couple feet before colapsing on the floor screaming and in tears. The hospital staff fought to get her back on the bed for about five minutes, before they called over some more help, dragged her back to the hospital bed, strapped her down and forced her legs open to do an exam. There was no question as to wether the staff knew she had been raped, as she was found with just her underclothes on, covered in cuts and bite marks.
I didn’t get to the hospital until after all this had happened, the situation was explained to me by a nurse. My girlfriend has a huge hospital phobia now, can’t even get her to one for treatment.
Do you think what the hospital staff did was right?
Tags: Have, Hospital..., Reason, Right, Staff, Thing, Think, Upset
October 29th, 2009 at 5:35 pm
The Hospital staff was completely wrong for doing that. Now if she was unconscious then the could do what they need too. like taking blood, running the rape kit etc. you and your girlfriend can sue them for doing that with out her consent. one of the biggest mistake was probable having “male” nurses taking care of her. Trust me they do dumb stuff like that.
October 29th, 2009 at 7:55 pm
yeah they did the right thing. I freaked out too and was trying to run away. I had to be constrained too, its important that they do because they did not know what was going on. In order to calm down they need to relax and if that means strapping someone down so they dont get away so be it. It takes a while for the panic to come down. It is the natural instinct for victims like us to want to run away, from not only fear, but embarrassment. there are a hundred things running through my head at that time and i am sure there where with her. I know they probably did not know what happened to her, the same thing happened to me, all they found me with was a shirt with extreme bruises all over my body and i was in a drugged state of mind. SO yes, they took the measures they needed to keep her there and safe!
October 29th, 2009 at 9:49 pm
If your GF was hysterical enough to not be rational, the ER has the obligation to ensure nothing is medically wrong with her that could be life threatening–and that sometimes involves forcibly examing someone–otherwise if that person bled to death later etc–a HUGE lawsuit would ensue. Sometimes it can look pretty violent to control a patient that could possibly to harm to themselves by leaving, thrashing about, etc (or harming staff). Your GF had a horrible experience and needs counseling (it is free often to victims of violent crimes)–urge her to get it. Very best. (I had to forcibly exam a young girl once as well, and her rectum was ripped to shreds by a broom handle).
October 30th, 2009 at 4:04 am
Sure was they took all precautions as to what they think could have happened to her.
October 30th, 2009 at 10:59 am
it would depend on the information that the staff received when your friend came in by ambulance. if you were not there it would be hard to get an accurate acessment of the rape, and any other heppenings that might have taken place. it least they did something for your friend rather than let her go without any attention at all. In emergency situations hospital staff are trained to do certain things regardless. be thankful they cared enough to give her some attention.
October 30th, 2009 at 2:17 pm
no, it wasn’t–she had been violently attacked and then the hospital doing what they did, just reinforced the entire thing–she now associates the hospital with that night. Until she gets therapy, she will never be able to enter a hospital again without having a violent reaction—so, until she gets help, if ever there is an emergency where she has to go to hospital, especially by ambulance–you must warn them that she could get violent and it is best NOT to take her to that hospital if possible.
October 30th, 2009 at 5:03 pm
I believe the hospital needs permission to do a rape test. It doesn’t sound like your girlfriend gave permission so you might want to look into that.