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This IS NOT the way to deal with any patient in the mist of acute psychosis.
1. You keep the patient calm. This can be accomplished by placing the patient in a quiet environment and talking to them in a low, calm tone of voice. The article stated that the patient was cooperative at first.
2. You keep people in uniform away from them. Often, seeing people in uniform only serve to increase their anxiety and delusional state. Try to limit their interactions to one person with whom they can develop a rapport.
3. You NEVER try to convince the patient that was they are seeing, hearing for feeling is not real. To them, it is very real. You offer them reassurance and continue to support them by letting them know that they are safe and no one will be allowed to harm them.
4. You administer medications as quickly as you can. This will help reduce anxiety and may assist the patient to sleep. Some patients who are delusional stay awake for long periods and this only exacerbates their delusional state.
5. There is a structured/ organized way to take a person down so that you do not harm them. The patient is under increased stress when they are being restrained and they do not understand what is happening to them. They can be in danger of developing complications such as a heart attack, respiratory arrest, etc. Restraints are the path of least resort and should be removed as soon as possible. Anyone in restraints must be monitored constantly, offered fluids and toileting.
6. It is better to place the patient alone into a private seclusion room which is set up so that the patient will not have anything available in the room to use to harm themselves. When in this room, they must have constant supervision and be offered fluids and toileting frequently.
I have seen police officer and other staff get into these kinds of situations with patients and I myself have had times when no other choice was available but the use of take down and restraints because the patient was so violent that he/ she was a danger to other patients, themselves and the staff. But you have to be very careful and use the minimum amount of force necessary to complete the task.
And yes, it is often frustrating to deal with violent patients who are under the influence of drugs or alcohol. And you have to keep others safe.