Kelly R. McLean, R.N.

KellyMcLean Upon graduation from nursing school in May, 2010 I immediately accepted a position as a registered nurse in acute psychiatry at the Erie County Medical Center in Buffalo, New York. The medical center is the only hospital in the area with a dedicated psychiatric emergency room as well as acute inpatient care.

On August 18, 2010 I was violently assaulted by a patient on the unit and was hospitalized for 4 days. My injuries include permanent damage to my cervical & lumbar spine, jaw & right eye as well as a traumatic brain injury and some resulting psychological issues stemming from the assault itself. The recovery process has been ongoing both physically & psychologically since the assault. I returned to work for a period of 7 months (after being out for almost 4 months) and was reassigned to the chemical dependency/detox and rehabilitation unit.

I currently spend much of my time attending follow up appointments with various doctors and providers. I have been fortunate to do some public & keynote speaking on my personal experience and about workplace violence in healthcare. I continue to try to find ways to draw attention to this issue as I do not believe it receives the attention it deserves. On a personal note, I currently reside in the suburbs of Buffalo, New York and am the very proud mother of 2 sons and my devoted 2 year old Bernese Mountain Dog.

Official title of your keynote
Assaulting Behavior: A personal story about the violence no one should experience at work.

Abstract of your keynote
This keynote is based on my personal experiences related to the violent assault I suffered at the hands of a patient on an acute inpatient psychiatric unit while working as a registered nurse on August 18, 2010.

Although the physical violence experienced from the initial assault by the patient was both physically and emotionally devastating, the subsequent maltreatment by some colleagues and certain members of the hospital administration was something quite unexpected and equally disturbing, if not more.

I will share my experiences and offer my ideas and thoughts on how workplace violence in healthcare can manifest in different ways and why this issue is worthy of more attention, discussion, education and action.