Australian Nurse Subdues ER Attacker in Seconds with Jiu-Jitsu

A nurse in Australia has brought attention to the critical issue of safety for healthcare workers by releasing footage of himself subduing an aggressive patient in a hospital emergency room using Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Daniel Nelson, a nurse in Queensland, shared the video to underscore the dangers medical professionals face.

“

I was able to defend myself, so I laughed it off at the time and can still talk about it with a laugh now. But that's not the important thing. What if the assailant had attacked a nurse who was smaller or weaker than me?

The incident took place in October 2024 at a hospital in Brisbane. Nelson recounted that around 2 a.m., a man in his 20s, heavily intoxicated, entered the emergency room. The man exhibited disruptive behavior, including spitting on the floor and verbally abusing staff. Despite requests to leave the premises, the man became violent, throwing objects and then physically attacking Nelson.

Nelson, who has trained in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu for over a decade, was able to quickly neutralize the threat. He used his martial arts expertise to take the man down and restrain him for approximately 30 seconds until security personnel arrived. The assailant was subsequently charged with assaulting a healthcare professional and fined $450 (approximately 650,000 Korean Won).

“

Nurses, doctors, paramedics, and other healthcare professionals exist to help people. Even those who are drunk are included (among those they help).

Nelson emphasized that while he was capable of defending himself and can now recount the event with a sense of humor, the situation could have been far worse if the attacker had targeted a smaller or less physically capable nurse. He stressed that healthcare workers, including nurses, doctors, and paramedics, are dedicated to helping all individuals, even those under the influence of alcohol, but this does not excuse abuse or violence against them.

“

That doesn't mean healthcare professionals have to endure insults and assaults.

"Violence against healthcare workers is not 'part of the job.' It is absolutely unacceptable," Nelson stated, adding that intoxication is not a valid excuse for such behavior. According to the Queensland Nurses and Midwives Union, over 16,000 incidents of violence against healthcare workers were reported in Queensland alone last year, highlighting a widespread problem that Nelson's actions have brought to the forefront.

“

Violence against healthcare workers is not 'part of the job.' It is absolutely unacceptable. Being drunk is not an excuse either.