At 3 a.m., a man walks into your emergency department. He paces back and forth in the waiting area before he approaches staff to ask if he can see his wife, who is a patient on another floor. He speaks rapidly, his face is flushed, he glances around often, and he keeps his hand in his jacket pocket. A best initial response would be to:

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The behaviour of the individual (flushed appearance, furtive glances, speed of speech) and the hand in his pocket suggest the potential for violence or aggression. The first step is to quickly assess your surroundings for other people who might assist you and for safety alarms.

At 3 AM, a Man Walks into Your Emergency Department