As you are probably aware, the healthcare occupational hazard of the 90′s is workplace violence. The Int’l. Ass’n of Healthcare Security and Safety (TAHSS), an organization which monitors crimes committed in hospitals, has reported a rise over the past several years. OSHA’s 1996 Guidelines For Preventing Workplace Violence For Health Care and Social Service Workers concludes: “The highest incidence of- assault injuries and two thirds of the non-fatal assaults occurred in nursing homes, hospitals, residential care and other social services.” Safety is everybody’s business both the employer and the employee.

Bear in mind, the effects of a criminal act only begin with the crime. Its consequences could linger for weeks, months or even a lifetime. If a program prevents only one person from becoming a victim, it pays for itself, not to mention job disruption, and the pain and suffering it could prevent. According to the latest statistics, the dollar cost to a healthcare facility could be considerable depending on the nature of the crime. One case because of litigation resulted in a cost of a few million dollars.

Education is a key element in increasing safety. A quality prevention and awareness program is a proactive approach that will go a long way to make people feel safer and be safer at the same time. According to Lee Shanley, Assistant Director of Security at Nassau County Medical Center, “The alternative, if there is one, is to become a statistic.” Consider for a moment this fact, there are effective techniques and practical skills that can be used to help deal with this issue. The “Become Streetwise” program is a unique slide presentation that stresses non-violent methods for averting assaults. The program combines awareness skills, body language and verbal de-escalation techniques in an educational and entertaining presentation. Thoroughly tested, the “Become Streetwise” program has received endorsements from educators, law enforcement and health professionals from around the country. I believe the reason for the success of the Become Streetwise Safety Programs is that it combines quality information with a quality presentation. As a member of the National Speaker’s Association and Who Who’s in Professional Speaking, great pride goes into each and every program.

Having completed programs for 1,000′s of nurses, homecare professionals, ER professionals, psyche ward staff , doctors and others at over a dozen hospitals and several state conferences, I understand some of the difficulties
facing this profession,

Programs for Healthcare Professionals

Body Language: Dealing With the Potentially VIOLENT
Person,

Patient or Family Member

For healthcare providers, body language is no longer a luxury but a
necessity. Man is the only animal capable of understanding and manipulating
cues for sinister purposes and the criminal is becoming expert at it.
Without proper training, the average person doesn’t stand a fair chance.
The program will examine:

• The messages our body language sends out
• How we perceive messages and ways to minimize deception
• Human behavior and how it relates to body language
• Body language of violent people and deceptive people
• Examination of threat and submissive cues and the way they are interpreted
• How stress changes us, for the good and bad
• Verbal Communication and Verbal De-Escalation Skills

Recently, a cop broke up a fight between three individuals, He was
rewarded with 150 stitches from a box cutter. The mistakes he made happen
all to frequently. While in a hospital or homecare setting fights are
infrequent, they are becoming more of a problem. But it only takes one
time for someone to be seriously injured. This program will examine:

• The dynamics of fights.
• The 3 stages of a fight.
• When is the safest time to intervene and when are you are greatest
  risk.
• Suggestions as to what non-physical techniques can be used to intervene.
• A segment examines why people fight and “Ritualistic Combat” will
  be examined.

Become streetwise!’ A Healthcare Professionals Guide
To Personal Safety

A. Based on a 300+ slide program.

B. This pro-active personal safety program offers healthcare professionals
with safety tips on traveling by car or public transportation and general
alertness.

C. It will discuss the modus operandi of the criminal and how he/she
selects a target with the goal of reducing one’s vulnerability.

D. This program has been presented to thousands of homecare professionals.

“Become Streetwise!’ A Guide To Personal Safety

A. Same as above but geared to a coed audience.

SURVIVING A HOSTAGE TAKEOVER

A. A hostage situation is a real danger to healthcare professionals
because they are in frequent contact with EDP’s and substance abusers,
not to mention the general high risk nature of the job.

B. This program examines:

1. Who is the potential hostage taker?

2. What will the police be doing to safely resolve the conflict?

3. What can you do on the inside to protect yourself and possibly
others?

4. Verbal communication and verbal de-escalation skills

SURVIVING AN EDGED WEAPON ASSAULT

The availability of edged weapons in a medical facility combined
with the clientele (EDP’s) makes for an explosive combination. This program
will combine over 30 years of martial arts, stick and knife fighting training
seminars and research. The program will examine:

• Different types of edged weapons and how they can be used
• What constitutes a safe distance from an edged weapon?
• How should you respond to a rush? Side stepping vs. stepping back.
• What are the 8 most common knife grips, who might be using them and
  why?
• What do knife “experts” agree upon?
• How does body armor hold up against knives?
• How and where can weapons be concealed?