E.R Security

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Specializes in Cardiac Telemetry, Emergency, SAFE.

I did a search for this, but the most recent threads were from 2005, so I figured it was time to ask again. :p

Does your E.R have a dedicated security officer, or team (depending on the ER size)? I interviewed at a small 16 bed ER and was surprised that the answer was no. Maybe I was just baseing my thoughts on the hospitals ER in my city that I am most familiar with, a 60 bed ER with a dedicated security office and usually a city cop walking about.

The E.R I interviewed with shared a story about a nurse being thrown through a plate glass window a few months ago.:down: They have one security guard thats wandering the hospital and another that acts as the hospitals phone operator but cant leave his place (regardless of happenings) until someone comes to take over the phones. So yeah, just a few concerns. Lol

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Specializes in Emergency Medicine.

In my hospital you only call security if you want a witness to your impending death. They can do nothing but observe.

Mainly retirees, some of them if you get too excited might actually code there in the ER. Horrible...

Your best bet is to have a really good working relationship with your county's sheriff department or city police.

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Specializes in Pediatrics.

The ER I used to work at as a tech, the secruity office was attached to the main part of the ER (28 bed) so if we needed them at a moments notice then we could bang on the door.

One officer was dedicated to the ER, one in the office watching the cameras, and one for the rest of the building and to drive around the campus.

At times there may be more officers in the building as they way they rotate their oncoming offgoing shifts are staggared.

In addition, if there is a psych patient that requires a sitter in the ER it is the secuirty guard who will sit with them.

They respond to all the codes and have seen them go running off with riot shields, they are the ones who would put the paitent in hard restriants (of course after a MD order)

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Specializes in ER, Pediatric Transplant, PICU.

We have an off duty police officer here 24/7. It makes a huge difference with how people act. They started it about a year ago, and OH MY MY people behave so much differently when they see him when they walk in.

Plus, it's nice to have them to watch the 1013's to make sure they dont make a run for it.

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Specializes in Emergency.

We have at least 2 security guards at all times. If you call for help, you get a lot more. Very few sterotypical guards, mostly younger & can move fast.

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Specializes in CEN, CPEN, RN-BC.

Funny enough, I used to work in a little community hospital that saw a decent amount of people in the ER (about 55,000/year). This was in a low income area where crazy stuff would happen constantly. Our hospital actually had its own police force. They carried sidearms, batons, tasers, and pepper spray. Now in another hospital I've worked, we only had security made up of retirees. They were basically useless and if anything happened we had to call the township police. We also had a dedicated CPI team, made up of nurses and techs that were throughout the hospital.

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Specializes in ER, Peds, Informatics.

We have a dedicated security team including a K9 team. They will restraint combative patients with an order. Most of them are ex-military and alot of time the combative ones will calm down just by having them presence. The dogs are a great deterrent too. They are very calm and friendly, but can sense someone that is about to explode and they will cry, whine, and bark whenever we have an unruly patient. The hospital has this team due to the large number of staff being assaulted. Even with them on staff, we still have staff occasionally assaulted, spit on, etc.

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Specializes in Emergency & Trauma/Adult ICU.

Two security staff in the ED at all times, more if you need them, within seconds. And they're Big. Strong. Guys. :D

I love the idea of a K9 unit. I remember reading a research study a few years ago that concluded there were a lower number of staff assaults and other events when K9s were present.

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We have a dedicated police staff 24/7 that are stationed in the ER as well as hospital security. The hospital mainly uses hospital security though and we use the officers. Our officers have guns and tazers. They watch the cameras and I have seen them make a few arrests. I feel safe with them.

Its a large inner city level 1 trauma center.

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I am currently interning at my home town hospital, which the town has about over 1,200 people and is growing because of the oil boom. We have 15 room hospital with one ICU room and one ER room. At night we have no security. After 10:30 pm our facility doors lock automatically and no one can get in unless they know the code or we let them in. Well of course we can not deny anyone unless they look really suspicious, but our only security is to call the police and wait for them to arrive.

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Specializes in MPH Student Fall/14, Emergency, Research.

We have 1 peace officer (who can do arrests) and 2 security guards on 24/7, and their post is front & center in the waiting room, directly opposite triage. Love it.

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