Alarming hospital security incidents: showing that hospitals need security personnel 24/7

During those times within the past ten years when I was hospitalized (the TURP, then a couple of other minor situations), while I was there I never spent any time thinking or wondering about the hospital's security measures that must have been in place. Of course I guess I realized in the back of my mind that they were there, mostly out of sight, but ready if needed.

Perhaps that was appropriate, as most patients will be concerned with their medical situations, and not with the possibility of a security incident involving them.

But hospitals, like all areas where people gather, are subject to the kinds of things that can require the attention and action of security forces, even if we don't tend to think about it.

Having come across this topic, hospital security, while websurfing recently, I did a little searching and reading on it, and have summarized below what I learned from a number of interesting websites on the topic.

The main things I picked up are that every hospital has at least some security measures in place, again usually out of sight, and, with the occasional exception of a security guard walking by in plain view, not advertised. Contingency plans exist for specific situations, and high-speed contact protocols are already in place for rapid summoning of the local police, if necessary.

Here are common areas of hospital security concern, as I learned from looking at a number of websites:

Assault (violent patient on medical staff is most common)
Disruptive Behavior (See above)
Illegal Activity
Suspicious Behavior
Suspicious Packages
Theft
Vandalism
Vehicles (break-ins, stalled, stolen, etc.)
Car Accidents (in hospital parking areas)

and especially horrifying:

Kidnapping of newborns

And one area that may not immediately jump to mind, but is actually not all that uncommon, so I read:

Administering detention areas for criminals brought in by police for medical treatment

(And in the case of this last situation, as when an arrested criminal has been shot by a police officer, brought in, and now requires immediate medical attention, a unique protocol kicks in in most places. It operates depending on how violent or uncooperative the criminal-patient may be: for those excessively so, heavy sedation of the person may be required to enable doctors to effect treatment, and in some cases even handcuffing the person to the bed, to make it safe to treat them. I also read that some places have issues with measures such as these, but others don't).

So just how do hospitals cope? What are some of the measures they employ to create an effective security system?

Some goals of an effective security system, gathered from various websites:

Employ Security Officers
Install an Alarm System
Mark Emergency Exits
Implement Video Surveillance
Focus on Easy Mobility
Reduce Public Areas
Only Allow Limited Visitors
Ensure a Strong Building Structure
Practice Emergency Drills
Determine Emergency Codes
Create an Evacuation Floor Plan

Some real-life examples of hospital security incidents:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92x59ion7yc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=horyz-re-hw

Probably not something we immediately think about when we enter a hospital, but it's nice to know that there will be such measures and plans already in place to protect us, should the need to do so arise.

One of my cousins works nights and weekends in a hospital emergency room ...

I know that the energency room staff deals with situations beyond belief --- and just when they think they've seen it all, they deal with something else beyond belief.

They never know what they will be dealing with, especially in "THE MIDNIGHT HOUR" ...

I think all medical workers could probably "write a BOOK"!

I always try to take a moment to express my thanks to my doctors and nurses for looking after me, when I have a medical appointment!

CYCLONE --- # Iowa State University

My grandson's mom is a leading nurse at the worst county hospital in the twin cities. What the nurses have to experience during a typical day would never be tolerated in a private work place. Sexual abuse from patients, physical abuse from patients, daily death threats from patients and family members, such severe staff shortage that nurses and aids are not getting enough help when it comes to moving overweight patients which is a lot in today's world and causing many injuries to themselves. Then the drugs that are being brought into the hospital because of an open door policy is just fricking scary!!!! But the worst part mentally is the upper management saying well we have to be nice to these people don't want to make waves!!! What's so sad is our emergency rooms are filled with people who have been there two or three times in the same week because they were revived with narcan while a hard working person who has paid into and supported the system lays in the emergency room for 8 or more hours with a heart attack!!!!!! THIS HAS TO STOP!! WONDER WHY PEOPLE STORMED THE CAPITAL LAST JANUARY?