One of the reasons that you might wish to obtain employment as a hospital security officer if you have security experience is that many of your daily job description is transferable. You'll be making people feel secure, responding to emergencies, and offering an authoritative presence. However, like other security jobs, you can sometimes find yourself taking charge in the event that something unexpected occurs. Security work has its predictable days, but there are also times that you won't know what you're getting into when you report for a shift. Here are some unexpected tasks that you might need to perform.

Patient Transfer

If there has been an emergency at the hospital, such as a biohazard or chemical incident, you may need to lend a hand with transferring patients from one ward to another. Should one ward no longer be safe for patients, the hospital staff may call on you to assist in this time-sensitive transfer. The specific role that you play in this situation can vary. You could actually be pushing patients in their beds from one area of the hospital to another, or you could be walking ahead of nurses transferring patients to ensure a safe route. In an extreme emergency, you may even need to pick up patients and physically transport them quickly.

Traffic Rerouting

Hospital parking lots and access roads are typically well marked, allowing visitors to know exactly where they need to go. However, in the case of something acute, such as an accident, or planned, such as construction to one of the roads or parking lots, you may find yourself assisting the flow of traffic by rerouting motorists. This job could physically include standing on an access road and telling motorists where to turn, based on their reason for arriving. Traffic issues can be stressful for motorists, but your calm demeanor can help the situation.

Unit Lockdown

For many different reasons, the hospital's medical team may need to lock down a unit. For example, perhaps someone with dementia has left his or her room, and must not be allowed to leave. In such a scenario, security officers will be called to the scene to station themselves outside of the unit. You'll need to ensure that no one leaves, or in some situations, allow certain people to leave only after ensuring that the person in question isn't among them. You may also be asked to keep people from entering the unit at this time.

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