Nurse forced to use martial arts to take down violent patient at one of Australia’s busiest hospitals
A ‘jiu-jitsu obsessed’ nurse has recalled how he wrestled an intoxicated patient to the ground inside a busy hospital emergency department.
Daniel Nelson has shared CCTV from the incident at Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital almost two years ago to call out violence against healthcare workers.
He added that the attack occurred an area of the hospital not visible to security or other staff.
The footage showed the registered nurse escorting out a patient who had been asked to leave the hospital after he abused staff early one morning in October 2024.
The man suddenly turned around and threw an object at Mr Nelson before charging at him, landing several punches.
Mr Nelson’s instincts and passion for martial arts then took over.
He managed to overpower the patient during the struggle by placing him in a chokehold and kept him pinned him to the ground until security officers and hospital colleagues came to his aid.
‘In a stroke of genius, he decided he wanted a cuddle,’ Mr Nelson wrote.
Daniel Nelson shared CCTV from the incident at Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital almost two years ago to call out violence against healthcare workers.
The registered nurse managed to overpower the patient and restrained him on the ground
‘Safe to say… it didn’t work out the way he expected. I don’t think he anticipated the nurse having an obsession with jiu jitsu for over 10 years.
‘I laughed about it then and now because I was able to defend myself.
‘But what if he’d picked a nurse half my size? A new graduate? A student? Someone who simply couldn’t defend themselves?’
Mr Nelson described violence against healthcare workers as ‘unacceptable’, adding that no one goes to work expecting to be assaulted.
More than 16,000 violent incidents against hospital healthcare workers were recorded across the state last year, according to the Nurses Professional Association Queensland.
‘Nurses, doctors, paramedics and other healthcare workers are there to help people -even those who are intoxicated or making poor decisions,’ Mr Nelson wrote.
‘That should never come with the expectation of being abused or attacked.
‘Violence against healthcare workers isn’t ‘just part of the job.’ It’s unacceptable. Alcohol is no excuse.
Daniel Nelson shared the footage to call out violence against healthcare workers
‘To all my colleagues who continue to show up despite this sort of behaviour: I see you, and I appreciate what you do every day.’
A man, now 28, was charged with one count of serious assault public officer performing their function and later fined $450, The Courier Mail reported.
Also an Australian Defence Force veteran, it is understood that Mr Nelson was on a 12-month contract with Metro North Health at the time and currently does not work at the hospital.
The footage has since attracted more than 1.3million online views, 3.700 shares and hundreds of comments commending the nurse on how he handled the incident and for speaking out.
‘I’m glad you had the skills to handle that so well. I just wish you didn’t need to,’ one woman wrote.
Another added: ‘I’m sorry you experienced this at work. As a paramedic I have endless abuse verbally and physically. No one should expect healthcare workers to tolerate and accept abuse.
