How Your Hospital Security Department Can Deliver Top-Notch Internal Customer Service

A trusted security integrator can help you address the concerns of your internal customers, including top executives, nurses, behavioral health staff and more.

Some hospital security professionals believe that the term “customer service” only applies to individuals outside of their organization, such as patients, family members and visitors. However, there are a whole host of stakeholders inside a healthcare organization that public safety and security departments must also serve.

The most obvious internal customers are emergency department (ED) nurses, nursing assistants and behavioral health staff because they are the hospital employees who are most likely to experience security problems. They are the ones who, on practically a daily basis, encounter patients with mental illnesses and substance abuse issues, as well as elderly patients with dementia and family members who are under extreme stress. In fact, three in four nurses experience verbal or physical abuse, which includes yelling, cursing, grabbing, scratching or kicking, according to a 2014 study that appeared in the Journal of Emergency Nursing.

These internal customers are the ones who benefit the most from a wide variety of security measures, such as verbal de-escalation training, mobile duress alarms, video surveillance systems and more. Reducing the number and severity of violent incidents also contributes to a reduction in workers compensation claims and staff turnover, which helps to address the concerns of another group of internal customers: top executives, finance and risk management.

Additionally, security departments are often called upon to watch patients in the ED who are deemed to be a threat to themselves or others. Public safety officers might monitor the patients via a video surveillance system, or an officer could be assigned to the exam room where a patient is located. Whatever approach a security department chooses, patient watches are another way they can satisfy the needs of their internal customers.

There are many more ways hospital security and public safety departments can be of service to their organization, including providing parking security and executive protection. Additionally, let’s not forget about the additional forms of assistance security officers provide that are vital but may be overlooked – such as opening doors when someone loses their access control card or leaves it at home.

Partnering with a trusted integrator such as STANLEY Security, can help hospital security departments meet the needs of their internal customers. There are many electronic security solutions available for all areas of a healthcare facility. For example, STANLEY Security frequently provides the following systems to its healthcare clients:

  • Access Control
  • STANLEY ® Guard Personal Safety & Security Response
  • Mass Notification & Emergency Communication
  • Lock Down Solutions
  • Behavioral Healthcare Solutions
  • Video Surveillance & Monitoring
  • Intrusion Systems
  • Fire & Life Safety
  • UL & Bilingual ULC Monitoring Services

Meeting the needs of your hospital’s internal customers can be a challenge, but it can be accomplished with the right personnel, training and security technology.
For more information on the solutions you can implement at your healthcare facility, or for educational resources on improving your security program, visit STANLEY Security at www.stanleycss.com/healthcare.

Stanley Security

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