Hospital Security Guards Protect Patients, Staff, and Visitors

Security guards specifically trained to professionally manage hospital facilities are exceptional and highly trained professionals are dedicated to protecting those associated with medical care. Hospitals can be one of the most stressful environments. Whether a birth, death, or something in between, emotions run high in the hospital, and the staff members are experts at working with families and loved ones when they are there.

Emergency Hospital Visits Require Additional Attention and Care

Emergency rooms can be a place of desperation. The emergency room is the same for flu symptoms as life-threatening injuries. As expected, the emergency room can be an intense experience. If crowded, emergency room trips can be lengthy, with new emergencies coming in constantly and some patients taking higher priority. Emergency room staff are incredible at what they do, but they can only control so many things, in which time you wait or other more pressing emergencies taking precedent are not some of them. It is challenging to manage some people in these situations because everyone feels their own needs are more urgent than others. Still, the professionally trained medical staff determine which patients require the most urgent attention.

During the pandemic, story after story about COVID-19 patients surfaced from the emergency room experience as medical staff had to treat patients in order of urgency. It is not uncommon for the urgency of a patient's needs to change while in the waiting room. The pandemic certainly tested the limits of medical personnel and law enforcement. Several areas of the hospital have more emotionally charged people, and on-site security guards establish order and let visitors and patients know things are being handled professionally and appropriately. An unsettled patient or family member may repeatedly bother the administrative staff about when they will have their turn with the doctor. A trained security guard can help explain the situation firmly, deterring further disturbances to the medical team and other people in the emergency room.

Crime Related Hospital Visits

If a shooting occurs or someone comes into the hospital with a gunshot wound, the hospital must report incidents to local law enforcement. In these situations, hospital staff cannot be expected to supervise activity in the injured person's room. Often, there is not enough staff to ensure only those with approval have access. Doctors, nurses, and hospital administration staff have their hands full. Providing security detail to help manage these additional, non-medical elements takes the burden off the trained medical personnel. It allows them to entirely focus on the wellness of the patients who need attention.

If law enforcement is involved, the police department may assign an officer to wait until the person in question can provide information. Still, they are not explicitly designated to watch over the whole hospital and are there to get specific details from one patient. Any evidence of abuse must also be reported, and other injuries that qualify as crimes require attention from the authorities.

Hospitals Are Soft Targets Which Require Trained Security Guards

A soft target has multiple access points and a high density of people. Hospitals need additional security guards due to the high volume of patients, visitors, pharmaceutical companies, doctors, nurses, and interns. Having trained security guards watching any security equipment and identifying any suspicious or unwanted behavior early can minimize disruptions and protect those who are supposed to be inside the facility and only in designed areas. The best trained security guards become an extension of the hospital staff, recognizing vulnerable spaces and areas of the facility, and giving the necessary attention to those areas to ensure they are not violated.

Trained and professional security guards provide peace of mind and can deter theft, violence, and other crimes. Because of activity 24 hours a day in the hospital setting, it takes special training to be effective in this environment. Medical equipment, prescriptions, and personal property are all at risk with such high traffic, but security guards are trained to watch for behavior typical of someone attempting theft.

Training and Experience Matter

Trained, experienced, and exceptional security guards will do a risk assessment on arrival, helping identify vulnerable areas and address access point issues. Risk assessment includes checking emergency equipment to ensure it is functioning and up to code. Security guards also bring experience in evacuations, expertly and calmly controlling traffic and directing people to safety. In today's climate, any soft target, especially hospitals, needs extra protection and deserves it.

The best hospital security guard providers in the nation have hospital-trained security guards with military and law enforcement backgrounds, able to masterfully handle security and emergency needs. Reputable and established providers, like Off Duty Officers, can dispatch quickly and offer a free assessment and quote of hospital security needs. It is essential to ensure that your hospital staff has what they need to do their jobs as effectively as possible and hiring exceptionally trained security guards provides this opportunity.