Hospital Security Director Background, Opinions, and the Implementation of Security Programs

Effective security is crucial to the functioning of a hospital because it impacts patient care, employee satisfaction and turnover, and patient confidence in the healthcare facility to provide a safe environment for medical care. A survey was conducted of NJ hospital security directors to describe their security programs, assess compliance with statewide workplace violence prevention regulations, and evaluate the influence of their experience and opinions on the comprehensiveness of their security program. The surveyed security programs (n = 52) had partial compliance with the regulations, security directors (n = 35) viewed the regulations positively but also had suggestions for improvements, and having a director with law enforcement experience did not improve regulatory compliance.