SOUTHINGTON, Conn. – Bradley Memorial Hospital employees are demanding more security amid their growing concerns that the hospital’s patient population has grown more agitated and aggressive since the COVID-19 pandemic.
Workers at the Bradley Memorial Campus of the Hospital of Central Connecticut say they don’t have enough security staff to properly protect themselves and patients. Usually the hospital has one full-time security officer, reports CT Mirror. Sometimes more than one security officer is working. However, even then, local law enforcement sometimes needs to be called in to deal with violent situations. The workers want the hospital permanently staffed with two security officers, with one focusing on protecting the emergency room.
Related Article: More Campuses Adopting Panic Alarm Tech, Most Satisfied with System Performance
In August, a patient tried to start a fight, according to a union spokesperson. Bristol police officers had to be called to get the situation under control. Workers say the aggressive behavior they’ve seen in patients runs the gamut from patients throwing cups of water or urine to the attempted choking of a nurse.
Some Bradley Memorial workers have filed a complaint with the Department of Public Health over their security and safety concerns, reports Fox61.
The hospital chain is currently negotiating with the union. It released the following statement from Janette Edwards, who is vice president of operations at the Hospital of Central Connecticut, to the news media:
Related Article: Assaults on Nurses Increased 5% in 2023
“We have always believed, and continue to believe, the best path forward for everyone is to work together and find common ground. That is why we have not once walked away from the negotiating table since we first began meeting in January. Our latest offer includes a significant increase in wages, and the hospital has already agreed to several operational changes proposed by the union. We look forward to continuing good-faith negotiations with the expectation the parties can reach a mutually satisfactory compromise in the near future.”
The statement, however, didn’t address the workers’ security concerns.
