Most hospital shootings involve gunmen who are determined and have specific targets, which makes gun violence at healthcare facilities very difficult to prevent, according to research released Sept. 20 from Johns Hopkins. Of the 154 hospital-related shootings that occurred in the United States from 2000 through 2011, the motives for the attacks were a grudge or revenge (27%), suicide (21%) or ending the life of an ill hospitalized relative (14%). Escape attempts by patients in police custody accounted for 11% of the shooting incidents.
Despite these findings, hospitals should not give up on trying to prevent gun violence on their campuses, claims Bryan Warren, who is the president of the International Association for Healthcare Security and Safety and senior manager of Carolinas HealthCare System’s corporate security. Incorporating Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) concepts in new construction and renovation, developing relationships with local first responders as well as training security and clinical staff are just some of the ways he says firearm attacks can be thwarted.
“There is a lot more to preventing hospital shootings than just metal detectors and arming your security personnel,” Warren claims.
Patient Screening Lets Staff Know About Threats
Some attacks where the motive is a grudge or revenge, for example, can be prevented with appropriate screening. Emergency department staff should ask victims of domestic violence if their attackers know that they came to the hospital and might follow them to campus.
“Then the hospital could prepare for the person coming,” says Warren. “Those preparations might include restricted access or letting security staff be on the lookout for the person. If that is not a part of the screening process, you would never know to [take those precautions], and that could result in a tragic situation.”
Plans for committing forced euthanasia or “mercy killings” by family members might also be detected by hospital staff.
“Staff education plays a vital role,” he adds. “If you have a nursing assistant who overheard a significant other say, “I’m going to end it all or I can’t stand this anymore,’ [the assistant] should know that anything of this nature should be taken seriously, and they should report that to the proper authorities. If there isn’t education there so staff know what to listen for and how to react, then you are already at a disadvantage.”
