ALBANY, N.Y. - A former patient at the Capital District Psychiatric Center was sentenced to five years in prison under the new Violence Against Nurses Law after severely injuring a nurse in March.
Terry James was sentenced Friday morning to five years in prison after pleading guilty to the assault of CDPC nurse Judi Rychcik on March 13, 2011 in Albany.
James knocked Rychick down while on the job, when she entered the room to respond to a crisis intervention code. Rychick was struck unconscious by a punch and suffered serious injuries to her neck, skull and brain.
Rychick, a PEF member, spoke out against workplace violence during the sentencing of James in Albany County Court.
"This may have been avoided, and I may not have been assaulted if there were more staff and more security. There should not be cut backs when dealing with people with mental health conditions," Rychcik said.
"The Violence Against Nurses Law was designed to help protect our nurses. PEF was aggressive in getting this law passed. It will go a long way in helping to protect our nurses when patients realize there will be consequences for their actions. We also applaud the district attorneys who have helped enforce this law."
The Violence Against Nurses Law, also known as the Nurses Felony Law, went into effect in November 2010.
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