Firearms

[cracklingkraken]

I thought this was an interesting discussion that happened to pop-up on a certain social media site. How many of you conceal carry? And what do you think about prohibiting firearms on hospital property?

I think with the increasing violence these days, safety is a major concern for everyone. How do you protect yourself and still abide by the rules set by your facility?

[CarryThatWeight, BSN]

I just got an email from the president of the university where I work. Texas legislature passed a law that allows licensed holders to carry a concealed handgun on campuses of institutions of higher education. Because I work in a university hospital, the hospital policy will no longer be able to prohibit CHL holders from carrying concealed. The University is revising the policy to be in compliance with the bill. Open carry will still be prohibited, which is good so we don't scare the pants off our patients. But if they can't see it and don't know about it, I don't see the issue and clearly Texas does not either. I would still not carry concealed on my person though. For safety reasons that's not a good idea. But I will be packing in my purse. Thought you all would find that interesting. God bless Texas!

[cracklingkraken, ASN, RN]

I just got an email from the president of the university where I work. Texas legislature passed a law that allows licensed holders to carry a concealed handgun on campuses of institutions of higher education. Because I work in a university hospital, the hospital policy will no longer be able to prohibit CHL holders from carrying concealed. The University is revising the policy to be in compliance with the bill. Open carry will still be prohibited, which is good so we don't scare the pants off our patients. But if they can't see it and don't know about it, I don't see the issue and clearly Texas does not either. I would still not carry concealed on my person though. For safety reasons that's not a good idea. But I will be packing in my purse. Thought you all would find that interesting. God bless Texas!

Thanks for sharing. Texans do love their guns

[azhiker96, BSN, RN]

I have my CCW license and do carry occasionally but never in the hospital. I have a pistol that is locked in the glove box of my commuting car because work is in an older part of town. It's not unusual to hear random gunshots as I walk to or from the hospital. Men and women can be seen loitering in the area all hours of the day and night.

My hospital is a safety net hospital. We treat everybody including the unwashed, unloved, and neglected members of our society. We also treat psych patients including residents from the State hospital and also forensic patients (jail, prison, detention). The residents of the state come with armed officers and flight restraints. Our guards are armed and we usually have police on campus as well. I don't want one of them seeing me with a gun because I don't want to be an accident.

That said, I am aware of my surroundings and possible field expedient weapons of self defense. We have had a few prisoners attempt escape but I've never heard of them trying to take a hostage. They just try to get away as fast as they can.

[akulahawkRN, ADN, RN, EMT-P]

We can agree to disagree.

But imagine if NO ONE had firearms. Would we have to fear much in the way of violence then?

If we had no firearms, then we'd be back in the age of knives, swords, spears, arrows... and those are plenty deadly and were quite often used outside the arena of war. You're focusing on the tool, not the root cause of the problem. That root problem is that of violence. There are certain groups of people that will use violence, in whatever form necessary, to achieve their goals. If they want to rob, rape, kill, commit genocide, or whatever... they will find a way to do so. Even a simple rock, when used appropriately, is a deadly implement.

So, to answer your question, even if we did have no firearms, we would still have to fear much in the way of violence.

We actually have more to fear from the LEO than we do the typical CCW holder. Why? Law Enforcement as a group commits crimes at higher rate than CCW holders do, as a group. LEOs, as a group, also shoot the wrong person more often. It's been shown over and over that CCW holders tend to be among the most law-abiding people around.

[bagladyrn, RN]

Recently in Houston - A man got carjacked. A bystander "good guy with a gun" opened fire. Shot the carjacking VICTIM in the head.

This is what people fear.

[cracklingkraken, ASN, RN]

Recently in Houston - A man got carjacked. A bystander "good guy with a gun" opened fire. Shot the carjacking VICTIM in the head.

This is what people fear.

Wow... Just, wow.

[loriangel14, RN]

As a Canadian I always find these threads horrifying. I cannot imagine anyone coming to work armed.

[akulahawkRN, ADN, RN, EMT-P]

Recently in Houston - A man got carjacked. A bystander "good guy with a gun" opened fire. Shot the carjacking VICTIM in the head.

This is what people fear.

Well, during the manhunt for Chris Dorner, an ex-LAPD officer suspected of murder, cops shot 2 women who were driving a pickup of a different make, model, and color than what Dorner was known to be driving. Chris was male... and a second incident happened because of the first, but fortunately in that incident, nobody was hurt.

In the carjacking incident, they do not know who the "good guy with a gun" was. There are more instances of police shooting the wrong person than a "good guy" doing that.

Incidentally, the "good guy" has more responsibility for unintentionally shooting the wrong person than a cop would under identical circumstances.

[Farawyn]

As a Canadian I always find these threads horrifying. I cannot imagine anyone coming to work armed.

Canuck has nothing to do with being horrified, trust me.

[joanna73, BSN, RN]

Why is it that anyone feels the need to carry at all? I realize that this is a choice, however, I find it disturbing that people have the illusion they're safer carrying a weapon.

[Farawyn]

Why is it that anyone feels the need to carry at all? I realize that this is a choice, however, I find it disturbing that people have the illusion they're safer carrying a weapon.

Go ahead. Make my day.

[heron, ASN, RN]

I don't really care whether the bullet that kills me came from a good person's gun or a bad person's gun. The bottom line for me is that I am safer with fewer bullets flying around.