Secure Units

Some units in the hospital may be designated as secure units to protect vulnerable patients, for instance:

• psychiatric units
• mat-child units
• critical care units (ICU/NICU/CCU)

Levels of security for these units may differ; however, most will include locked exterior doors which staff may access with ID swipe cards and video cameras outside the unit with an intercom or call bell system. It is often the HUC’s role to screen any visitors to the unit prior to opening the unit doors and ascertain from nursing staff whether this is an appropriate time for a visit. The HUC should identify the individual and their purpose for entry prior to admitting them to the unit.

Mat-Child Units

There may be numerous other security measures in mat-child units, including:

• implementing an infant security tag or abduction alarm system (such as an electronic armband) which triggers an alarm, locks doors, and freezes elevators if an infant comes within a specified distance of an exit or elevator,
• footprinting the infant and taking a colour photograph within 2 hours of birth (Miller, 2007; Vincent, 2009), and
• implementing protocols for protecting new mothers from estranged partners (Thompson, 2018).

The HUC plays a large role in the safety of newborn infants and their mothers as they are typically the first person who interacts with visitors. The HUC should clearly communicate the unit security policies to patients and visitors upon admission and ensure that they only allow visitors into the unit who have the appropriate identification and challenge any staff members who are not wearing the appropriate hospital identification.

Psychiatric and Dementia Units

Some psychiatric and dementia units may have additional security measures for their patients, including controlled exits to limit patients from wandering, or leaving the facility when deemed incapacitated to make treatment decisions. In psychiatric areas where patient safety is an issue, the HUC may also need to screen any gifts brought in by visitors. The HUC in locked units may interact with aggressive, upset, or confused patients wishing to leave the unit and must interact and redirect in an empathetic, professional manner.

References

Miller, R. (2007, October). Preventing infant abduction in the hospital. Nursing, 37(10), 20–22.

Thompson, V. D. (2018). Administrative and clinical procedures for the Canadian health professional (4th ed.). Pearson Canada.

Vincent, J. (2009, June). Infant hospital abduction: Security measures to aid in prevention. The American Journal of Maternal Child Nursing, 34(3), 179–183.

Attributions

“Baby, Newborn, Child image” by Engin_Akyurt; used under the Pixabay license.