Abstract

Today’s high risk-healthcare environment has prioritized patient safety with great initiatives and, unfortunately, placed staff safety second. However, safety for both groups should be equal priorities. Evidence suggests that Emergency Departments (ED) often care for patients with a history of crime and mental health diagnoses, creating an environment where the threat of violence and weapons is increasingly prevalent compared to other clinical settings. (Erlyana, 2019) Risk mitigation is possible if we consider studies by Malka et al. (2015) and Laidlaw et al. (2017) that indicate the efficacy of metal detectors in accurately identifying concealed weapons. To improve clinician and patient safety, the proposed change implements the utilization of metal detectors at all entry points into the ED. Concealed weapon screenings will incorporate static pole magnetic devices supplemented by hand-held metal detectors (HHMD). The initial investment would require ~$400,000 for the first year due to equipment and staffing costs. Subsequent years would decrease in cost based on staffing wages.

Date of publication

Fall 8-6-2023

Document Type

MSN Capstone Project

Language

english

Persistent identifier

http://hdl.handle.net/10950/4283

Degree

Masters in Nursing Administration

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