Abduction !!

magz53 · Mar 29, 2008

Meant to ask ( because I am too lazy to look in old threads ) about other security measures that are employed other places. Thanks in advance.

oramar · Mar 29, 2008

Seems like the alarm on the baby's foot did notify them that child was being removed from building. It also did result in the person being arrested and the infant recovered quickly. However, information is conflicting about whether they were supposed to go into lockdown when the alarm went off and why the person got out of the building so easily. I guess we will hear more about it in future.

RNgirlie · Mar 29, 2008

wow. cant imagine this happening at my facility. the baby's foot has an alarm. doors to the unit is locked and you must be buzzed in to enter that unit. directly outside the unit is a security gaurd on duty 24/7.

Elvish, BSN, DNP, RN, NP · Mar 29, 2008

Our hospital has security tags that we keep track of in a computer in a central location, and security has the same computer record. They are set to alarm when anyone gets too close to an elevator, or any exit from the floor.

We do the unique name badge and identical mom/baby bracelets and we make darn sure these people know not to give their babies to anyone who doesn't have a badge, state their name and title, what they're taking the baby for, where they're taking him/her, and how long they'll be. If they don't say all that, then we tell parents NOT to give baby to anyone, even if that person has scrubs on. We have a safety/security sheet going over all those same rules for them to read & sign. We keep a copy and parents keep one.

Our floor is accessible by elevator, but to actually get into L/D or mother/baby you have to sign in w/ the security guard and you get a visitor pass with your picture on it. The nursery is a locked unit inside the locked mother/baby unit.

All in all I feel our babies are pretty safe but you can never be TOO safe. I saw the abduction story on the news this AM & shuddered.

Annony RN · Mar 30, 2008

Hospital #1 where I went to school: The L&D, Rec, and PP units had a keycode lock on all entrances/exits. (the nursery was enclosed between the L&D and PP units.) There was only one entrance accessable to visitors who had to be admitted and check in ith the unit clerk (no way in from the stairwells, only out, only staff easily able to get to the back hall) All babies had alarm transmitters on their umbilical clamps to alarm and lock down the doors (cannot be opened even by staff until reset) if they get too close. Staff now has color coded badges, unfortunately, to this day no pics on the front of them.

Hospital #2 where I worked in nursery/PP: Doors in (2) and out (3) of LRDP had keycodes, very few staff members were privy to them. Again, visitors need to let in and out by staff at the desk and the unit is small enough to keep an eye on them easily. Babies wear bracelets with transmitters that lock down the doors and alarm, bracelets cannot be cut off or they will alarm and lock down. I think they were KinderGuard. We also looked at Hugs for the peds unit. All peds and LRDP had color coded tags with big pics.

Hospital #3 where I delivered: the PP unit and nursery was locked with ID tag swipe-in-swipe-out. There were numerous doors like this all throughout that floor of the hospital where NICU, PICU, and peds were also housed. (I did peds/PICU there) All staff had the same access and because you had to swipe between empty halls and waiting rooms I felt there was danger of getting lax and risk of "coat-tailing" Doors were slow to close, too. Staff ID was color-coded (for all those units) but not very obvious. No security devices on baby.

NurseNora, BSN, RN · Mar 30, 2008

Have you had any close calls at all? Either with babies or with security issues? I live in a rural area where there are lots of meth labs and therefore lots of meth users. We had a very obnoxious and scary dad who was obviously tweeking badly. He was finally thrown out of the department by security and told not to come on hospital property again. We did a version of locking the unit after that that involved taping one of the baby "low jack" transmitters to the wall next to the door. If someone wanted to leave or enter the unit, someone had to walk to the door, remove the low jack, walk 6 ft away from the door, then walk back and retape it. Better than nothing, but not much.

That night, I had reason to believe that the mother was trying to sneek him back into the department. She'd been in and out enough to know that there was plenty of time to get him in while we walked away from the door. Being a tweeker, I think they were both sure that once he was in, there was nothing we could do about it. She didn't get him in because he was seen and recognized by Security and the police were called. He told the cops that they couldn't make him leave or make him get into the police car (meth use makes you even dumber than before you started using). He was carrying 3 knives (none of them pocket knives, all were big ones), discovered once the cops had subdued him.

I wrote this up in great detail, much more than here and sent it to our OB director and the hospital administrator saying we needed to be a locked unit for staff saftey as well as to prevent infant abduction. Soon we had video cameras so we could at least see who was in the hallway just out of sight of the doors. Locks were to be coming soon, but they kept putting it off.

Once again we had an incident with a drug using family who was not going to be able to take the baby home because of Child Protective Services and had to do our jury-rigged door lock thing. This particular situation was serious enough that administrator on call had to come in on the night shift. When he visited our area to check on things, I read him the riot act and told him in great detail about the previous incident and how long we'd been promised locks. We had locks within a week.

Be a squeeky wheel. Everytime there is any situation that is even mildly serious in terms of potential for abduction or staff saftey, write it up. Send to everyone you can think of. For some reason, I didn't send any letters to Risk Management, and they are one of the best ones to get on your side

Good luck

justme1972 · Mar 30, 2008

Did everyone hear of the abduction yesterday in a Florida hospital of a one day old infant ?? I think the babe was recovered quickly. I work in a place that has NO security whatever.....has 3 entrances to the floor, non of the secured. No security personnel in the building at all ( the maintenance men can be summoned !! ) We tell the Moms ......." Don't give your baby to anyone who doesn't have a maternity name badge on " And JCAHO thinks this is sufficient. We hold bogus code Adam drills. I did notice that on MSNBC yesterday after the abduction the question was NOT "How did this baby get off the floor " But " How did these people ( there were 2 ) get ON the floor ?? " We are a tragedy waiting to happen and when it does, I will not be testifying in the hospital's defense !!! And you know it will be THE NURSES FAULT !!!!!!

I disagree that it will be a nurse's fault...however, it will be liability on the part of the hospital for failing to provide adequate security.

I personally think that unless there is very, very secure entrances to delivery floors, this practice of keeping the baby in the room with you (because alot of the moms will need to sleep...and even if the baby is asleep too...you can't watch them while you are asleep), shouldn't be permitted unless Mom is awake, feeding or taking direct care/visit with the baby.

Too much of a risk for someone to walk in, and walk out.

It doesn't happen often, but to that one mom that it happens too...it's one time too many.

barefootlady, ADN, RN · Mar 30, 2008

Security is so tight here on OB floor fathers have to have special pass visible at all times. Grandparents too. Other visitors must leave the floor when it is time for babies to come out of nursery unless there is some special reason cleared by administration. Seems one supervisor is always very close to area on day shift when babies are on unit.

magz53 · Mar 30, 2008

I forgot.....we do have a video camera by ONE elevator. There are 3 elevators and one stairwell ( the other two stairwells are exits only and locked from one side ) that are open at all times. We are short-staffed and on off shifts, no one is at the desk to observe who comes on the unit. Of course, the hospital would be liable but in my experience ( 35 + years ) the nurse is always the scapegoat. We are to call 911 in the event of a problem as we have NO security personnel in the building whatever. There is not one 3-11 shift that goes by that visitors from other floors or the outside don't get off the elevator and go to the nursery window "to see the new babies". Of course, being so "customer pleasing", we have to smile and sweetly say that "the babies are with their mothers". Then they sweetly smile and say "how many babies do you have " I ( wanting to scream because they are even allowed entrance to our floor ) do tell them " I am not allowed to give you that information for security purposes" hoping that this tells them they are not really welcome on our floor for no reason. GRRRRRRRRRRRR I have complained for more years than I want to count. Like I said before, I won't be testifying for the hospital in the event of an abduction. And how does JCHAO let this fly ??????

Elvish, BSN, DNP, RN, NP · Mar 30, 2008

I disagree that it will be a nurse's fault...however, it will be liability on the part of the hospital for failing to provide adequate security.

I don't think she ACTUALLY thinks it's going to be a nurse's fault, but the nurse will be blamed for the occurrence nonetheless. And I too can see that happening, though not at every facility.

mom2maddynsky27 · Mar 30, 2008

the hospital where i delievered has a good system in place. there is only one elevator that accesses the floor and it is located right across from the nurses station. All babies have braclets on them. If those bracelets get within so many feet of the doors the unit goes into lock down and no one can get in or out. If the braclets are cut without the proper tools or being deactivated the unit will lock down. i was very impressed with safty measures used.