Making The Wrong Assumptions & The Consequences of Doing So

by Cameron
(Vancouver, B.C. )

Right from the beginning of this course, Stan provides insights, information, and essential tips that will enable you to assess the situation you happen to be in and take the necessary steps to mitigate risk. This applies not only to survival in the wilderness but also urban settings. I would say that first and foremost you must maintain your composure as best you can so you don’t enter panic mode and make wrong decisions, and I would also say, never ever make assumptions!

I’ll give you a personal example of where I made an assumption in my professional setting that put me at risk and led to a severe injury. Years ago, with an academic background in psych and clinical training in psychology, I was employed as a mental health care staff at two hospitals in the province of Alberta. I worked on an inpatient unit and also on the psych-assessment team affiliated with the emergency department.

One evening, our unit received a call that one of our familiar psych patients, Mr. M. was being brought up from the emergency department by two city police officers. After he was admitted to his room, I was assigned to do the intake on him. I entered the room, acknowledged him and said, “Hello M.” and after one very quick moment he launched an attack on me, and my swift reaction was to pivot and provide a smaller target for him. What I didn’t anticipate was that he would kick me as hard as he could, and his hard-toed, leather soled cowboy boot hit me full force on the left side of my chest just left of my pectoral muscle.

I ended up on my face on the floor, with him on top of me and the two police officers on top of him with my arms pinned by my sides. This is far from being one of those threatening situations that Stan refers to in his course, but working in psych health care can present occupational hazards and physical threats from either extremely distressed or severely mentally ill patients.

Here is the assumption that I had erroneously made when I was entering the patient’s room: police officers are to follow protocols when bringing a dangerous (psychotic at that time) patient into the hospital. After being seen by an emergency physician, if they pose a threat to themselves or the public they are to be either medicated or placed in physical restraints such as plastic restraints, have pockets checked for sharp objects, and definitely have footwear removed that would pose a threat. I had assumed that the officers had followed those protocols and ended up putting myself at risk by not first inquiring if they had done so.

Mr. M. had beaten up both his parents prior to being brought to the hospital that evening. He had stopped taking his medication and was severely delusional, believing that his parents were aliens.

Now, I am wondering if anyone in this forum has had an experience where they made an assumption that put them or others into jeopardy.

In closing, Mr. M.’s hand and fingers were inching down my forehead as he wanted to gouge my eyes and all I could hope to do was bite his fingers – this is called ‘survival instinct’. Then a staff from an adjacent unit joined in this melee and quickly brought it to an end when he grabbed Mr. M. by his genitals. Since Mr. M. was psychotic at the time, his pain threshold was not operating as it was when he was taking his medication. Fortunately, he did respond to a vice-like grip on his gonads.

I ended up going to the emergency department, had X-rays and was given pain medications and was off from work for over a week. It could have been a helluva lot worse, but there wouldn’t have been this situation if (1) the police officers had followed protocols, and (2) I had inquired if they had done so.