Use this data to get the tools you need.
Use this data to get the tools you need
One in three U.S. hospitals report rise in violence and assaults in 2014, according to an exclusive Guardian 8 survey of 380 hospital administrators, Chief Security Officers and staff. No hospital facility can achieve its crucial mission of providing quality patient care without proper security to ensure patient, staff and visitor safety. However, with security staff turnover as high as 300 to 400 percent per year, your officers’ firsthand knowledge about your facilities risks and protocols walks out the door with them.
Minimizing security officer turnover therefore needs to be an integral part of your overall security solution. I am a firm believer that excessive turnover is not a simple pay issue. I believe high turnover is an equipment issue. You cannot pay someone enough to take a job they consider too dangerous. When good people feel safe on the job, when they feel properly equipped and prepared, they will stick around.The inability to properly address a violent situation does not just affect the morale of security, it also affects the morale of the doctors and nurses around them. Low morale makes recruiting and retention a serious issue across the board.
Insist on getting the right tools for the job
Administrators rely upon the Security Director to recommend the smartest, safest security solutions, including the tools you choose for your non-sworn officers’ duty belts.To increase your prospects of procuring the equipment your officers need, build the case with dollar signs attached that shows your hospital cannot afford to NOT purchase the proper equipment. Factor in injury/lost work-day data related to violent incidents which increased in 1/3 of US hospitals in 2014, and include staff turnover. Replacement costs vary by industry, but estimates range from 25 to 200 percent of the employee’s annual salary to cover the costs of advertising, interviewing, background checks, hiring and training.
If, after presenting your case, hospital administrators deny your request for security equipment due to regulatory reasons, ask for the code or regulation in question. According to our exclusive survey of 380 hospital administrators and chief security officers, 59 percent of respondents reported they are unfamiliar with laws in their state restricting the use of non-lethal weapons. Odds are the person declining your request is misinformed. Our eBook, A Practical Guide to Non-Lethal Security, can help.
