Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to M F Melnick.
What occurs when a gang member presents himself or herself to a healthcare environment? What can the security and nursing departments do to respond to the potential danger and prevent a possible incident? Healthcare institutions, says the author, should adopt standards to reduce and prevent gang activity and make both the healthcare environment and society safer places.
There are many steps a health care facility can take in dealing with violent patients. This can be accomplished through a recognition of the causes of violent behavior. Unfortunately, each situation is different. While we can learn from previous experience, it is difficult to predict violent patient behavior. The steps that a hospital can take to deal with violence include intervention, restraint and seclusion, and proper training. This will increase quality of care and reduce liability. According to Steve Wilder, director of risk management at St. Mary's Hospital in Kankakee, IL, "The issue is not to fight, but to control and modify aggressive behavior and defuse the situation" (Hospital Risk Management, 1993).