Security guards have to be trained to work in their specific fields because there are threats and potential dangers that are unique to different industries. For instance, security guards that work in healthcare need to be far more alert of not just the dangers from outside their place of work, but also the dangers lurking inside their workplace. For instance, security guards that work in healthcare must learn to identify when patients could be in danger of harming themselves, or when mentally unstable patients could pose a risk to other patients or even the staff at their healthcare facility.
Because of this, security guards in healthcare are incredibly important, and it’s about more than just protecting the property from outside intruders. It’s also about identifying potential dangers within the healthcare facility itself and understanding the physical and mental situation of the patients in order to correctly approach a problem.
Recent findings have discovered that there’s an increase of around 22% in violence within mental health facilities. Healthcare violence also seems to be on the rise, and this highlights the importance of having security officers within the healthcare industry. When security staff are properly trained to not only take care of these dangerous situations but are also able to file detailed incident reports with medical knowledge, then future incidents like these can be avoided. Security guards that work in the healthcare industry are often accepting of paperwork because they understand just how important it is to treat each case differently especially if the offender is a patient in their healthcare facility.
Security guards that work in healthcare need to be not only physically capable of dealing with threats but also mentally capable and responsible for their actions. Reports need to be filed with accuracy and have to be credible, hence the importance of training.
When you’re thinking about hiring a security guard for your healthcare facility, it’s important to ensure that they have training working with people and not just property. Some incredibly talented security officers work exclusively in hospitals because they understand just how valuable their skills are. Hospitals are expensive and the equipment used can be very costly to repair, which is another reason why healthcare security guards are so important at ensuring there is a safe and secure environment for staff to work and patients to heal.
Security guards that work in healthcare usually carry out a plethora of different roles, such as:
● Monitoring patients with a full understanding of their mental and physical situation
● Escorting guests, employees and patients
● Actively patrolling the healthcare facility
● Inspecting machines and facilities for faults or vandalism
● Challenging people that are not members of staff or patients
● Monitoring CCTV around the building
● Patrolling at night to ensure the safety of all patients and staff working night shifts
● Advising staff and managers of security concerns
● Defusing potentially dangerous situations between patients
Security guards that work in healthcare are also trained in crisis management, specifically with non-violent use of force, CPR, hazmat and also follow healthcare regulations.
