2 Kadlec nurses forgive patient who treated them like a ‘punching bag’

Two Richland nurses say they have forgiven a patient who violently attacked them, and are focusing that energy on caring for others in need and inspiring change in the workplace.

Melinda M.N. Rose, 34, was sentenced to three months in jail after pleading guilty in Benton County Superior Court to two counts of third-degree assault.

While her attorney thought they might be successful at trial based on Rose’s mental state at the time, an emotional and apologetic Rose said she wanted to take responsibility for what happened Sept. 9 in the emergency room at Kadlec Regional Medical Center.

Rose had no criminal convictions before this case.

That’s why, even though she faced up to eight months behind bars, the prosecutor and defense agreed to a sentence at the bottom of the state sentencing range.

Rose has been in the county jail since Jan. 15 and could be released early for good behavior. She will be on community supervision for up to one year.

2 violent attacks in 1 month

Rose’s attack was one of at least two serious incidents involving medical staff at Kadlec in September.

Bruce S. Darling, 65, is charged with second-degree assault by strangulation or suffocation. His trial is scheduled April 1.

Prosecutors say Darling threatened on Sept. 16 to kill an intensive care nurse who had been trying to change his IV.

He then wrapped his arms around her neck, held tight and squeezed, court documents said. The nurse, Ashley Schade, estimates she was unable to breath for 20-30 seconds until five to six nurses came to her aid.

A witness said it initially looked like Darling was trying to bite Schade’s chest after pulling her close to him, documents said.

The nurses have joined others around the country who want to raise awareness about workplace violence in health care settings and see safety improvements.

Jessica Murphy, one of Rose’s victims, and Schade both have used the phrase “Be #SilentNoMore” on past Facebook posts.

Involuntarily committed at Kadlec

At Rose’s sentencing, Murphy read a column she wrote titled, “I was assaulted by you,” for the Winter 2019 issue of The Washington Nurse magazine.

The nurse of 10 years said she arrived to work at the emergency room Sept. 9 unaware she was about to become a statistic.

Rose had been involuntarily committed to the hospital and was scheduled to go to a mental health facility in Tacoma the next morning, said court documents.

She “became increasingly hostile and argumentative with staff as the night progressed,” and eventually declared she was going to leave the hospital because she wasn’t going back to Tacoma, documents said.

Karina Bethje, Michael Trunkey and Murphy, all nurses, Dr. Peter Himmel and Brian Wilcox, a security officer, were assaulted while trying to detain Rose.

The charges against Rose were for Bethje and Murphy’s injuries.

Murphy described Rose walking toward her in the ER with hate in her eyes, yelling and swearing before she hit the nurse on the side of her head.

Verbal and physical assaults

Murphy said she doesn’t remember how they got Rose back into her room, but recalls the larger woman grabbing the nurse by her arms and body-slamming her into the door.

“Your voice is echoing as you are screaming at me, calling me all the horrific names you can think of,” she said. “You are spitting as you scream. I can still smell your breath, fruity from the yogurt you ate.”

Just as Rose was raising her right hand in an apparent move to again strike the nurse, an “angel” came to her rescue and grabbed the patient’s arm so Murphy could get away. Another angel had to force Rose onto a stretcher, but she continued to hit, kick, scratch, spit and try to bite the medical staff, Murphy said.

The nurse said she knows people say that verbal and physical assault comes with the territory as an emergency room worker, and that leniency tends to be given because patients are sick or have mental health issues. But that’s not OK, she said.

“I am a human being and should be treated as such. I am not your enemy, I am your healthcare provider,” she said. “I am trained to care for you, provide for you and advocate for you. I am not your punching bag.”

Nurses injured in assaults

Murphy said her injuries included “two bulging disks in my back with nerve impingement” and a concussion, and that she had to get physical therapy and counseling. Yet she is choosing to be a survivor, not a victim, and is using Rose’s act of violence as a platform for change.

Bethje described the attack as “a messy event” and said Rose was “having a bad day” as she harmed the nurse who was trying to keep both the patient and her co-workers safe. She’s left with scars on her hand as a reminder of the assault.

The nurse said her job is not to judge Rose — that belongs to the judicial system — but to care for people like her who are having bad days. Nurses and doctors must run toward danger when others run away, she said.

Bethje said both of them have been given second chances, and she is using hers to “rise up and work hard to continue to give my best and most compassionate care to my fellow man.”

“I hope you use your second chance to forgive yourself as I have already forgiven you,” she added, “and to redefine yourself as a person that acts out of love and dignity for yourself and others.”

This story was originally published February 28, 2019 at 7:24 PM.