"Hidden" cameras on the floor--do you have them??

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After a few years of being undermanaged on our floor (we went through 7+ managers in ten years so issues were never followed up on) we recently got a new manager who seems to want to stay a while. A TON of people have been fired lately (7 in a matter of six months or so--lots of narc issues). You know those people who are at work every day and you just think "HOW do they still have a job?". It was all those people, LOL.

So one of the docs let it slip the other day that they were called in to review security tapes regarding a fired employee. NO ONE had any clue we had cameras on the floor. Then one of our nurses neighbors came over and asked "so are you one of the new floors with cameras?". Appearantly this neighbor knows someone in maintenance who said they were installing them on certain floors and "big brother is watching".

CREEPY! It felt really awkward the rest of the night. Do you know how many wedgies I have secretly picked at the desk? :lol2:

Is that a common thing? Do you have them?

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Specializes in Emergency & Trauma/Adult ICU.

Yes, we have these. FWIW ... if you have these, you can count on one being in the area of the Pyxis/med room/med cart. Other areas are hit or miss.

Fix your wedgies when you're in a patient's room but out of the patient's view. :lol2:

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Specializes in L&D.

We have cameras all over the place - especially on L&D, postpartum, NICU, ER, and the entrance to the hospital. Oh, and in all of the elevators, and in the stairwells. I work L&D, so the cameras don't bother me. You forget that they're there. It's actually a good thing, in my opinion. We have captured images of potential baby kidnappers (we have a few regular offenders who ask around at different hospitals about "where are the babies" and have histories of mental health issues). We also have cameras in the parking garages. I actually like that too - because I work in a high crime section of the city, and it's not unusual for people to mugged, robbed, raped, stabbed or even murdered nearby. I also don't hesitate to have a security guard walk me to my car.a

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Specializes in Hospital Education Coordinator.

I have one in my office with a monitor next to my desk. I cannot see the door from my office (suite of 5 rooms) and we had a theft a few months ago. Also I work late sometimes. As for on the floor---does not bother me. Bet they have caught me adjusting bra a thousand times!

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Cameras are/have been everywhere for decades in most business of even midsize. Not necessarily for security sake.

Ever fix that wedgy in an elevator? I have a million times, and I am sure always on camera. Sneak in a stairwell to make a cell call? Or in the bathroom? You are on camera.

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Specializes in Developmental Disabilites,.

we have them all over the hospital. By every elevator, exit and high traffic area. I am sure they are also in the med rooms. I guess I am used to big brother because I don't mind.

It actually helped out the staff. We had a former pt that was stalking one of our nurses. Security set the cameras to ID this man as soon as he entered the hospital and they would intervene before he came any where near our floor. I felt much safer.

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Specializes in ER.
cameras are/have been everywhere for decades in most business of even midsize. not necessarily for security sake.

ever fix that wedgy in an elevator? i have a million times, and i am sure always on camera. sneak in a stairwell to make a cell call? or in the bathroom? you are on camera.

i'm not a big law person here or anything, but pretty sure this is illegal in every state

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Specializes in Emergency, Telemetry, Transplant.

I know our one med room has a cam over the pyxis. My guess is, however, that if someone is stealing narcs, and is good at it, this camera is not going to make a difference. I suppose that would remove any temptation from someone looking to do it for the first time...who knows?

Anway, there are a few around the nurses station, the triage room, the waiting room, etc etc. I don't really feel safer with them there, but I don't have a problem with them.

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Specializes in Nursing Home/ Long Term Care for 2 years.

My LTC facility dose not have them and if they do it's news to me. I know how one would feel. I personally wouldn't like it.

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I work on OB too. We have cameras all over the place--that has never been hidden.In fact we have a monitor setup at our nurses station to view the different cameras--entrances, exits, lobbys, etc.

The NEW cameras are put in place for naughty staff though :) And these are ones that are "secret". I know they are somewhere around the front desk, Pyxis, and fax machine but nobody knows where.

I don't have anything to hide (except the wedgies) but it still feels wierd. I am sure we will get used to it. It explains why we have been getting so many "Quit eating at the desk!" emails lately. LOL.

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Specializes in Intermediate care.

I don't think we do. At least not to my knowledge. Legally, are they able to put up video cameras without our knowledge? just curious, sounds a little sketchy to me.

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Specializes in Community, OB, Nursery.

We have them on my floor. They number in the double digits. Security sits at the front desk and watches all of them. He even showed me how they can zoom in.

I don't mind, being that we have babies in rooms with Mom on my unit. I'm sure they've seen me pull out a wedgie or adjust my bra strap or something, too....oh well.

What bothers me way more than cameras at work are cameras on the street corners out in public. But that's another topic for another thread.

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