Staff safety in the ER

Specialties Emergency

Published

Specializes in ER.

Following a recent shooting incident, our team has set up a safety committee (long overdue!) and we are looking at options for changing the layout of the reception area and waiting room.

 

Do your greeters have a screened desk area with a quick exit if they need it?

Or are they face to face to people arriving in the ER with nowhere to run if it all goes south?

This is the first ER I have worked in, in my 35 years, that does NOT have the reception staff behind a screen or window, and an escape route for them.

If anyone is brave enough to send a pic of their ER reception it would be appreciated. Obviously I don't need to see the hospital name or system and nobody in the shot because of HIPAA etc. But it would be useful to see how your hospital keeps it staff safe.

 

TIA!

There are many set-ups. I don't think you need pics; your team needs to measure any idea against the pinciples/goals that need to be achieved, such as the ones you already mentioned. I've worked in a couple of community EDs where the general public had unrestricted access to the back/treatment areas. That should be illegal. Not controlling/restricting numbers of visitors--popular in customer service circles but also dumb.

Another issue is people often want to "fix" X specific thing because that is where/how something happened this one time, e.g. we must install a key card system for this door because that's where violent guy got in....when in reality there are 5 more places at risk of the exact same, no one is restricting visitors, violent behviors are tolerated, etc.

Your system needs to have an expert analysis of ALL safety gaps, not a homegrown solution from a bunch of the types of people like those who make all the other compromised/bad decisions in hospitals.

Then also...good luck if they are not willing to take a stand against behaviors in the ED.

I think some of the reimbursement should be tied to REAL actions taken to maintain order and safety in the ED.

I'm sorry you had a tragedy in your ED.

3 Votes
Specializes in retired LTC.
3 hours ago, JKL33 said:

..... Your system needs to have an expert analysis of ALL safety gaps, not a homegrown solution from a bunch of the types of people like those who make all the other compromised/bad decisions in hospitals.

Then also...good luck if they are not willing to take a stand against behaviors in the ED.

I think some of the reimbursement should be tied to REAL actions taken to maintain order and safety in the ED.

I'm sorry you had a tragedy in your ED.

Even with a security company consult (great suggestion!), the facility must be willing to implement recommendations considering costs. I suspect most kickback will occur here.

1 Votes
Specializes in being a Credible Source.

Our intake folks are sitting ducks... and our security is mediocre... some of them are pretty solid but many are bordering on useless.

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