Hospital Security

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Specializes in A and E, Medicine, Surgery.

Just curious about what security other hospitals provide.

In my department fixed on to the wall we have a large red button the size of a saucepan lid with PANIC in red letters on it. Now I think that the idea was to have this wired up so that when things kick off one push would have help winging it's way to us. Sadly like many things the final (and to be fair crucial!!!) wiring never got done. So we have this button that looks like it comes from a cartoon which provides no help at all - well that's not completely true if someone is starting to kick off I will hover over the button looking confident and say "you really don't want me to press this do you???" - some times it works often it doesn't!!!

In terms of formal security we have 2 security officers that work the whole hospital but only at night. Think the powers that be believe that people only ever get aggressive or combatative at these times :) Even if a patient or relative really goes for it our security officers have only very limited powers so what tends to happen is our doctors sit on the patient until the police arrive. Luckily I have a few large willing doctors.

The department is accessible 24 hours a day and there is nothing stopping Joe Public wandering into the working area. I work in an area that has a dispraportionately high number of ethanol and drug misuser's and whilst by no means are they all violent substance misuse does remove inhibuitions and we regularly encounter hostile patients and relatives. The hospital does encourage staff to report assaults but my own experience was after sustaining a fractured cheek bone (ouch!!!) the perp got a conditional discharge as his defence was that he was too intoxicated to remember what happened.

I am just curious at to what facilities other hospitals have - I know there is no more money available to improve what we have but it would be good to have a comparison.

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Specializes in Hospital Education Coordinator.

sounds like you are a problem waiting to happen

We have only a few in security, with no weapons. No ability to screen people as they come in. At least they provide coverage 24/7 and are extra eyes and ears. Lots of security cameras around - which does not prevent anything

Like you, staff here has to do take downs when necessary.

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Specializes in ER, Tele, Cardiac Cath Lab.

wow that is too dangerous of a situation for me. But im not surprised. I have worked at hospital with lame security like that. Unfortnately you will find most hospital security is a joke. Currently im working a hospital with off duty police officers who are all packing. So when we call security people behave !!!

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Specializes in ICU.

Perhaps they will find room in the budget once someone sues them for not providing proper security. I'm sure they don't encourage employees from reporting incidents because they can always turn the blame around and say they were not made aware of these problems. It all comes down to money and documentation.

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Specializes in ER, Tele, Cardiac Cath Lab.
Perhaps they will find room in the budget once someone sues them for not providing proper security. I'm sure they don't encourage employees from reporting incidents because they can always turn the blame around and say they were not made aware of these problems. It all comes down to money and documentation.

Some hospitals forbid their employees from calling the police. I once worked at a hospital that actually fired a charge nurse for calling police on a patient crazy daughter !!!

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Specializes in Med Surg.

Security????? What's that?

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I know how you feel....our security has just been downsized. They used to come on duty at 8 PM but now they don't have to report until 11 PM.

The hospital is not secure at all....anyone can wander around the entire hospital all hours of the night with no one to stop them. We have a ton and I mean a ton of drug addicts in our area. Our hospital is also known for handing out Dilaudid like candy.

All of us that work there can see the recipe for disaster that is about to happen.....drug addicts + Dilaudid + no security = someone getting hurt really bad!

I am so mad and frustrated right now I can hardly see straight!!!!:mad:

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Specializes in Home Health CM.

We have decent security. We have to due to the population in which we serve. They show up quickly and in teams of 2. Not too bad, but not as good as the police.

We definitely needed them today on our floor! An elderly patient coded and died today on our floor. A family member who never came to visit and was very difficult to reach during the patient's hospital stay was notified and when he found out, he said he was so upset he was going to go on a killing spree. We notified security and the local police department. I was never so glad for the shift to end. I hope the rest of my coworkers are safe.

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Specializes in ER, Tele, Cardiac Cath Lab.

I once worked at Bethesda medical center in boynton beach florida on a travel contract. We had a yound strong female patient that became violet because of Dilaudid of course. The doctor discontinued her dilaudid and she went crazy. Security was called hahahahahah. Security at this hospital was 3 70 plus retirees . This girl beat the crap out of these guys. I was the only man on the floor so i was forced to jump in as this girl was seriously hurting these security guards. I wrestled her to the floor and held her until the police came. All 3 security guards went to the ER.

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hospitals are turning more towards entry control (door codes, swipe cards, etc) for security. it's mechanical security, so it's cheaper (no wages, no benefits, union, ot, etc to worry about). the human security is basically used for parking enforcement and mainly as a visible deterant and visible false sense of safety (that's why they drive around with their lights flashing, so they're seen).

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Specializes in ER/Trauma, Corrections, Consulting.

I worked at a Level I trauma center that had it's own police force. They patroled the area, arrested gang bangers who were hustlin on the corner out front and would back all of us up with guns, kevlar and cuffs. I turned that in for a Level III trauma center where I have Opie and the gang with walkie talkies and flashlights. I'm from the hood and usually take the lead :) Good times....

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