A nurse in Florida may face the possibility of losing her eyesight after being violently attacked by a patient at Palms West Hospital, per WFLA. This resulted in almost every bone in her face being fractured, according to an arrest affidavit. 

Palm Beach County deputies were called to the scene at around 1:20 p.m. in Loxahatchee on Tuesday. The suspect, 33-year-old Stephen Scantlebury allegedly committed “aggravated battery against a nurse”

in a patient room on the third floor. The affidavit states that while under Florida’s Baker Act, the patient leaped onto his bed and then onto the nurse. 

One witness left the room to find help, while another shouted at Scantlebury to stop as he repeatedly struck the nurse in the face. The affidavit notes that the assailant eventually stopped his attack and fled the hospital, running into traffic on Southern Boulevard where he was apprehended. The nurse, whose name has not been disclosed, was transported to St. Mary’s Hospital with life-threatening injuries. 

The report indicated that “essentially every bone” in her face was broken and that she was likely to “lose the use of both eyes.” HCA Florida Healthcare released a statement, obtained by NBC affiliate WPTV, saying the following:

“Our primary concern is with our beloved colleague and we are praying for her recovery. We are also providing support to our hospital staff who are understandably shaken by this incident. The attack on our nursing colleague happened within a matter of seconds and was witnessed by multiple people who came to assist. We are grateful to the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office who acted to detain the suspect and we are assisting law enforcement in their investigation.”

#Clique, what are your thoughts?