When Hospital Security Becomes Personal

"Security guards patrol areas that used to feel universally safe. This shift reflects a hard truth about modern healthcare - the environments designed for healing have become unexpectedly dangerous places to work. Behind every access control system, every badge scan, every visitor check-in, there are real people trying to do their jobs while feeling safe. And right now, too many of them don't."

"Healthcare workers face violence at rates that would be unacceptable in any other industry. The numbers are stark: hospital workers are five times more likely to experience workplace violence than workers in other sectors, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. But statistics don't capture the real impact. Talk to any charge nurse, and they'll tell you about the subtle changes in their teams - how staff hesitate before entering certain rooms, how they've started walking in pairs down previously routine hallways."

Hospital circulation and behavior have shifted as staff, visitors, and security exhibit hesitancy and increased vigilance. Healthcare workers face violence far more frequently than other industries, with hospital employees five times more likely to encounter workplace violence per Bureau of Labor Statistics figures. Those incidents change team behaviors, increase turnover, and degrade patient care. Traditional badge-based access control is insufficient because different roles require different access privileges. Next-generation Personal Identity adapts security to operational complexity, recognizing varied needs of delivery personnel, travel nurses, and family members. Adaptive identity systems aim to protect staff while preserving healthcare workflow and patient access.

Read at Securitymagazine