Security guards

My hospital, like all general hospitals, has a security team and department. They are CPI trained, come when called, & follow the lead of the clinical staff. I think I've had as many as 6 up on the floor during a code.

they are structurally completely separate from us, but work very closely with us.

I'm asking because we have only one for the whole hospital and was wondering if that was the norm, I guess not. If we call a code other members in the hospital will respond (mental health workers, nurses) but there is only one security. Some times the security on duty is an old guy who looks like he is past due for retirement lol

Yes, on days we have 3. On nights we have 2. We also have a police officer in the ED on nights. Our facility is rural and has 300 beds.

I work in a free standing 80 bed hospital and we only have 1 guard. (I work nights.) No police unless we call 911. During the day we still only have 1 guard for the inpatient units already mentioned as well as our outpatient department. Seems crazy to me, especially given this person obviously has to wand every visitor during the three meals and visitation as well as secure their belongings. Then of course there are the new admits and code calls.

We have two per shift for entire hospital. Though Pts have told me im scarier than security (and they kniw if im calling the code, there's big issues)

I am a guard, currently.

There are guards that monitor the patient and report their activity and behavior they get a chair sit and observe, but not allowed to physically do anything that is what the other security team is for.

And the guard that sits and observe makes the call to other security and informs a charge nurse.

so yeah the guard in charge of watching the patient will call the security team that is allowed to physically intervene.

Usually security has a kiosk/ office somewhere in the hospital.

So it depends on the hospital, how many guard there are and what their function would be, as said earlier some guards are there only to observe and notify staff and security if a patient is a danger to themselves or at risk for elopement.

This helps because sometimes nurses are working with other patients and can't keep an eye on every single patient.

We have four safety officers per shift and usually around 90 or so patients.

We have none. If we have a code, available staff from other units respond. Everyone is required to be trained in CPI.

I am all for CPI, but I feel it's naive to think it will work all the time.

I agree.

In those times wherein we have to put our hands on a pt, take them to seclusion and restrain them, it's our own staff that does it. We are also trained in these "take down" techniques.

I wish we had on site security, but we don't.

I say this about CPI because when I was in school or through volunteer, the psychologists/counselors would be very adamant about CPI working.

Ex- if the patient was told by the nurse to take the medication and the patient refused, the counselor said some nurses would get into more conflict, by demanding medication to be taken.

That the nurse instead should say " would you like to take your meds with some juice" I told the counselor speaker, what if that does not work?

She said most of the time it should work. Same with the prof he has worked in the criminal justice system.

Honestly though I really feel they have not been in the situation enough times or are in some denial lol I mean some needs need to be taken at the hour indicated so things don't get worse later on.

There kind of is a need for the med to be taken right away. Sorry for the rant, but I just would like to see what reaction or reasoning these workers would have when a patient is agitated and attempts to attack them.

That's good you are trained in the take down techniques, I assumed so in Canada most staff are trained in a provincial violence prevention program for health care.