Have you ever taken a self-defense class and heard an instructor say something like, “No, grab my other arm?” or “Hey, you grabbed me the wrong way?” So, if you're grabbed by the wrist, the arm, the shirt, or the throat, do you really want to take the time to think about what move you need to escape? Wouldn't it be much better to have a self-defense technique that is easy to learn, recall, and...

Many nurses work with patients who are experiencing various levels of pain, fear, and emotional distress, which can sometimes lead to violence. As a result, nurses are sometimes choked by patients; and not only with their bare hands, but with I.V. tubing, electrical cords, medical device leads, I.D. lanyards, and even bedsheets! This places them, of course, in great danger of asphyxiation,...

Although much of crisis intervention or de-escalation concentrates on the spoken word, the reality is often what we say is not nearly as important as how we say it. When angry or frightened people can’t comprehend what we’re saying with our mouths, they can still listen and respond to what we say with our hands and other body language.

If we had to open the heart of a nurse, we would see many things like compassion, empathy, and love. Now more than ever, these loving people are often placed in situations that can compromise their safety.

College campuses are crowded places. From dorms and lecture halls to gymnasiums and dining halls, college students spend those formative years shoulder-to-shoulder. Is it still possible to be lonely and isolated on a college campus? What are the signs of loneliness, if it’s something other than just being physically alone? Most importantly, why do campus workers need to know the signs of...

Many years ago, when I was working as a hospital security officer, I was sent to a patient unit regarding a “combative patient.” Oddly enough, healthcare workers rarely regard themselves as being in “combat” when a patient is grabbing, hitting, or kicking them; but, when they describe someone who is acting out at the moment, they often choose the adjective “combative” to describe the behavior...

Many times, security leaders recognize that if we are not to deliver on our mission, something in our operation needs to change. At the same time, we will likely be confronted with challenges that stand in the way of affecting that change.

Some of the more common challenges that we face in healthcare are competition for resources, resistance by those who may not believe change is needed, or...

Since the COVID-19 pandemic has entered our world, business as usual has changed drastically. Being security professionals in a healthcare environment, we are dealing with a variety of challenges even without the addition of COVID-19 to the equation. Emotions fueled by anxiety and escalated fear of others, coupled with the devastation and destruction of panic are the ingredients needed for chaos...