Equipping an urban hospital police and security team with Narcan: part two.

In their article in the last issue of the Journal, the authors reported on their health system's decision to equip their security officers with Narcan, the nasal-spray form of naloxone, and train them to use the drug to revive patients and non-patients overdosed with heroin or other life-threatening opioids. The decision, they said, was prompted with an increase in individ- uals who may come to the hospital ' 32 buildings and over 130 offsitefa- cilities to "shoot up" themselves. In this follow-up report, they describe what has happened in the seven months since the policy was begun-- how many times Narcan was utilized; what happened during such incidents; lessons learned; and how comfortable security officers are with this new re- sponsibility.

Equipping an urban hospital police and security team with Narcan.

Narcan, the nasal-spray form of naloxone, has been approved by the FDA as an easy-to-use version of a drug for saving lives of people who have overdosed on opioids--heroin or prescription painkillers. Communities across the US have been equipping first responders and police with the spray. Now, as the increase in overdose deaths has spread to hospitals, those facilities will have to decide whether their police/security officers should be equipped with.

Preventing violence at work.

Workplace violence is a basic concern of all industries, according to the author. Addressing the threat, she says, reduces costs, workplace injuries, and litigation. Above all, it saves lives.

Effective communication: the key to career success and great leadership.

Good communication is the key to educating, creating, and negotiating with others, and is especially important for security professionals whose jobs involve dealing with an employee having problems, negotiating with another department to get something we need, educating our bosses about hardening our targets or trying to de-escalate a family or patient who is upset or out of control, the author points out. Developing your own communication style, based on your understanding of what is involved in effective communications, will stand you in good stead in succeeding as a leader and advancing your career, she says.

Gang culture from the streets to the emergency department.

Gangs, gang activity, and the results of such activities, can have a special impact on hospitals, their employees, and others in the hospital community. In this article, the authors spell out in detail the extent of the gang culture to assist hospital professionals in understanding its many ramifications and guide them in taking actions to reduce the impact of gangs on hospital operations.

The amazing evolution of an industry: the past, present, and future of healthcare security.

A thirty year continuum of evolution and change in healthcare security has made the field multifaceted and dynamic. Hopefully in the future, its practitioners will be successful in helping colleagues, superiors, and the community at large understand the depth and expertise of the profession.