Staying Safe in a Dangerous World: A Nurse's Story About Body Armor

For Illinois hospice nurse Raul Nocete, December 12, 2022 started off like any regular day. But by noon, he had lived through a harrowing event that gave him a fresh perspective on the importance of protecting his life when he goes out to serve others.

Raul travels all over the Chicago metropolitan area providing end-of-life care to the dying. That morning, he visited the bereaved family of a patient on the outskirts of the city who had just passed away. When there was nothing more he could do, Raul decided to pay a visit to another of his patients. Then he would head home. 

As it turned out, this decision put Raul in the wrong place at the wrong time. 

The Event

Raul was just parking his car along the 6100 block of North Rockwell in Chicago when a gray SUV pulled up to his right side, blocking his vehicle. What happened next was the stuff of nightmares.

Two masked men exited the SUV. They pointed guns at Raul and ordered him to get out of his car.

“I was very terrified and helpless and thought it was my last day on Earth,” Raul recalls. “I was thinking about my family and my kids who still need me.”

One of the masked men walked to the driver’s side of Raul’s vehicle. His gun was still pointed at Raul’s head. Raul prayed and surrendered his life to God.

Moments later, his prayers were answered in the form of two police squad cars heading fast toward the scene from up the street. 

The gunmen both jumped back into the SUV and drove away with the squad cars in fast pursuit. Raul, completely stunned, was overwhelmed with tremendous relief and gratitude for what felt like a second chance at life.

The Aftermath

Raul would later learn that he was the last victim of a crime spree that had started at 4 a.m. that day. The gunmen were apprehended by police at noon, after a high-speed chase that ended when the perpetrators lost control of their vehicle and crashed into a Streets and Sanitation truck. 

The truck caught on fire immediately, and the gunmen abandoned the SUV and ran from the scene. They were soon found hiding in a nearby garage. 

For Raul, the experience inspired him to do more to protect himself on the job. He began searching for a good bulletproof vest that would provide him a greater sense of protection when he travels around Chicagoland each day. 

Winner of the ProtectVest Giveaway

The Bulletproof Zone staff was so affected by Raul’s story of December 12 and his dedication to his hospice patients that he was chosen as the winner of our ProtectVest giveaway! 

Raul had this to say about receiving his ProtectVest:

“This vest gives me the confidence to go out and service the patients that badly need our help, even in high-crime areas. While we pray to God to always keep us safe, it helps to know that we have a certain level of protection besides divine intervention.”

Violence Against Healthcare Professionals on the Rise

Raul’s experience highlights the very real problem facing healthcare professionals today: Mistreatment and violence against nurses is on the rise. It’s not uncommon for nurses to witness or be victim to workplace violence, bullying, or incivility. 

Healthcare professionals who do home care, such as hospice nurses, often find themselves in situations where violence could easily occur, especially if they’re working alone or have to go through high-crime areas. 

For Raul and his fellow Chicagoland hospice nurses, the threat of being targeted by criminals is a possibility that rides along with them every day during their care rounds. Carjackings are a particularly common concern. Two of Raul’s nurse friends were carjacked at gunpoint a few months before his own incident. One was actually fired at in his patient’s driveway. The gun, fortunately, misfired.

Emergency medical services providers (EMTs) are also at risk of violence. The U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) reports that violence from patients is the second most common cause of non-fatal injuries among EMTs. 

The USFA states that there are a number of precautions EMTs can take to protect themselves on the job, and one of those is wearing bulletproof or stab-proof protective gear – a measure that Raul and several of his nurse friends have started to take as well.

Protecting Ourselves Against Gun Violence

Raul was a very lucky man on December 12, and we’re all very lucky to be able to hear his story. His patients are lucky to have him too!

The unfortunate fact is that active shootings are on the rise. There’s no way to predict when and where the next one will occur, but it’s possible to wear or carry protection in the form of a bulletproof clothing or bulletproof panel.

We wish a safe and healthy year to all healthcare professionals, especially those who have taken the calling to care for patients at the end-of-life stage. 

Do you have a story about how a bulletproof vest or other type of body armor saved your life? Share it in the comments!