Revolutionizing Emergency Alerts from Healthcare Staff: New Strategies for Safer Work Environments
By: Sarah Velasco, DNP, FNP-C, RNC-NIC, Synova Associates Clinical Advisor
As a leader, how do your staff request assistance during unsafe situations in various settings such as a patient room, cafeteria, or hallway? Traditional methods—shouting for help, running to alert someone, using a duress button at a nurse’s station, or relying on personal cell phones—often prove to be inefficient. These approaches can cause significant delays in response times, which in turn may jeopardize the safety of staff, patients, and visitors. Delving into more effective strategies could be the ultimate key to ensuring a safer environment and improving overall response efficiency. Nationwide all healthcare facilities have experienced a rise in workplace violence. It is our job to help protect staff and provide the most up to date tools to assure they feel safe in their work environments.
A report from National Nurses United (NNU), released in February 2024, analyzes data from nearly 1,000 nurses across 48 states and the District of Columbia, collected between January 1, 2023, and December 31, 2023. The report highlights nurses’ experiences with workplace violence and shows that the failure of healthcare employers to implement effective prevention strategies is worsening the staffing crisis. According to the report, 6 in 10 registered nurses (RNs) have either left, changed jobs, or considered leaving their profession due to workplace violence.
Hugs Infant Protection
With nearly two decades in the healthcare field, I can attest that the safety and security of both patients and staff are always at the top of the hospital’s list of priorities. Recently, I discovered Securitas Healthcare and was immediately impressed with their commitment to infant security through their Hugs® Infant Protection solution , which has been protecting infants in hospitals since 1998. With over 25 years of experience in safeguarding infants and pediatric patients, Securitas Healthcare’s multi-layered security approach is not just for our patients but for staff as well.
I met with Securitas Healthcare to discuss what options are available, beyond the Hugs solution, that could be implemented organizationally to support frontline teams, processes, and technologies with an aim to enhance safety and security on our units.
What is a Staff Protection solution and what can it do for your team?
Securitas Healthcare’s Staff Protection solution, a wireless badge that integrates seamlessly into staff uniforms, offers a discreet and effective way to stay safe in emergency situations. Much like personal protective equipment (PPE)—such as wearing gloves or a mask—you wear this badge to be prepared.
With just the push of a button, the badge allows staff to call for help in critical moments. When activated, it provides immediate confirmation by vibrating, lighting up, or making a sound to let you know the alert has been sent. Once received and acknowledged by staff, you get a second confirmation that help is on the way, allowing you to stay focused on the situation at hand.
Staff Protection badge
This technology empowers us to take control of our safety, giving us confidence that assistance is coming when we need it most. It’s a simple, discreet solution that can make all the difference in preventing workplace violence and ensuring our well-being while we care for others.
What sets Securitas Healthcare apart is its location-specific alerts, ensuring security teams can respond quickly and accurately no matter where we are. Early detection of escalating risks allows for timely intervention, helping to de-escalate situations and reduce distress. The system also has Test Stations, so we can check our badge at the start of every shift to ensure it’s active and working, giving us the confidence we need to focus on care, knowing help is just a button press away.
NNU’s major findings on workplace violence include:
- 8 in 10 nurses (81.6 percent) have experienced at least one type of workplace violence within the past year.
- Nearly half of nurses (45.5 percent) reported an increase in workplace violence on their unit in the previous year. In contrast, only 3.8 percent of nurses reported that workplace violence has decreased on their unit in the previous year.
- On a daily basis nurses experience multiple types of workplace violence, ranging from physical abuse to verbal threats. The three most common types of violence reported were being verbally threatened (67.8 percent), physically threatened (38.7 percent), and being pinched or scratched (37.3 percent).
- Only 62.8 percent of nurses reported that their employer provides training on workplace violence prevention. While training by itself is insufficient, it is an essential element of an effective workplace violence prevention plan.
- To effectively identify and correct workplace violence hazards, employers must have a method to track and investigate violent incidents. However, only about 1 in 3 nurses (31.7 percent) reported that their employer provides a clear way to report incidents.
Accurate and detailed documentation of each activation is crucial for monitoring trends and refining safety protocols. This documentation provides historical context, supports data-driven decision-making, and facilitates audits and transparency. Additionally, Securitas Healthcare Staff Protection solution complements your facilities existing safety and security initiatives.
I was impressed with Securitas Healthcare’s dedication to enhancing safety, not just for patients and their families, but staff as well.
With the rise in workplace and community violence affecting healthcare workers, ensuring that staff feel safe at work is essential. The Staff Protection solution offers peace of mind, knowing that help and security are swiftly available in emergencies or any sign of an escalating event. Although not all risks can be prevented, empathy and a commitment to safety start with reliable security measures and a company you can trust.
Securitas Healthcare’s integrated RTLS platform, combining Hugs Infant Protection and Staff Protection, provides a comprehensive approach to keeping patients, staff, and visitors safe. To explore the benefits of Staff Protection and how it could integrate into your healthcare setting, click here to contact our Staff Protection specialists
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The material presented in this blog represents the opinion of the author(s) and not necessarily the views of Synova Associates. Synova Associates does not endorse any specific products or organizations but strives to connect its industry partners with leaders interested in product/educational innovation.
