Alarms at Stairwell in Hospitals for Baby Abduction

Prevent Babe Abductions in your Infirmary

Posted by Accutech on January one, 1970 12:00 am

A recent abduction at Duke Infirmary demonstrates the reality of baby abductions. "On April xx, 2010 an infant was taken from the nursery. The hospital credits a diligent, highly-trained staff and the utilise of an infant security arrangement to forbid the abductor from leaving the facility.

From 1983 to 1998, 177 infants were abducted according to the national Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Of that total, 100 babies were taken from the hospital (57 from the mother'due south infirmary room) and 94 were recovered. According to JCAHO, infant abductions are usually premeditated acts; however, in about cases the particular baby abducted is taken out of impulse or opportunity.

According to Child Find at that place is a general profile for potential abductors and the infants abducted. These behaviors/characteristics should be known by hospital staff and mothers.

Profile of the Child Abductor

Normally female and on average 30-years-old.
Normally overweight
Generally no prior criminal record.
Appearing normal, just emotionally immature or compulsive.
Has depression cocky-esteem
Wants to replace a lost infant or one unable to conceive.
Announces "phantom" pregnancy and prepares for an awaiting birth as an expectant mother would.
Will brand themselves known and go familiar with the hospital personnel and even the babe'south parents.
Usually visits the nursery prior to the abduction asking detailed questions about hospital procedures and unit layout.
May visit more one hospital to appraise security measures and explore babe populations
Might not target a particular infant, but take the most available.
Unlikely to go out the community from which the infant was taken.

Profile of the Baby

Usually seven days old or younger.
Perceived by the abductor as their newborn.
Same race equally the abductor or abductor's companion.

Child Abduction Prevention Tips

Safety and security are key areas that should exist involved in systems designed to prevent infant abduction. Multiple vendors accept products, alarms, and other measures for protection. Hospitals should evaluate the various production options to ensure selections see their needs.

Additionally, hospitals should establish specific guidelines for staff to follow in the event of an infant abduction. Families should too be instructed concerning abduction prevention.

The following are data and ideas to aid in creating guidelines and precautions for infant abduction prevention.

From ankle bracelets to private archway codes, hospitals become to dandy lengths to provide a secure surround for mothers and their newborns.

Safe Environment In Your Hospital

The hospital surroundings should be assessed for potential security measures. Make sure your infirmary is equipped with the following:

Security cameras in strategic locations similar the nursery, stairwells, doorways, elevators, and hallways to monitor the incoming and outgoing activity.
Fire doors equipped with special alarms. Install alarms with time-filibuster locks on stairwells and go out doors.
Consider installing an electronic surveillance detection system.
Employ baby identification bands and check the band number with the mother/begetter/caregiver's number before giving the infant to either parent. Too, staff should know to check the same bands for corresponding numbers earlier the babe is released from the infirmary.
Electronic central-card system in newborn areas for staff.
Nurseries and motherhood wards are located away from lobbies with street admission with doors e'er locked.

Patient Data

Measures for babe identification include a variety of standard methods plus new devices:

Footprints
Hand/fingerprints
Headshots
A written description of the infant, medical records, and special identifying marks
Infant Protection Systems with baby identification bracelets and alarms (www.Accutech-ICS.com). Such systems accept special ID devices that will fix off alarms if the bracelet is cut or if an infant is taken from the unit/facility without permission.
Numbered umbilical cord clamps with matching identification wrist bands. These bands should be secured on the infant'south talocrural joint and wrist and the matching 2 should exist placed on both the female parent and father/caregiver's wrists.
Mark infant gowns at the neckline with the hospital proper name and logo so the baby is able to be quickly identified as a patient of the hospital.
Infant blankets should be marked on all four corners so the infant is readily identified as a patient of the hospital.

Staff Identification

Proper identification of hospital personnel is critical as an abductor may pose as a nurse, physician, or other staff members.

All hospital personnel must vesture photo identification badges with the hospital logo. Each ID badge must be worn on the outside of their clothing with the photo facing outward.

"I expect for the pink badges," said Amey Walters, a new mother at Intermountain Healthcare Hospital in Utah. She said she appreciates the hospital'south security measures. The hospital workers vesture special pink bars on their proper name tags to identify them as nurses who are immune to handle the newborns.

Anyone transporting the infant exterior of the mother's room must vesture an identification wristband and can only send a newborn by use of a crib or isolette. Nursing staff, physicians, mother/begetter/caregiver with valid corresponding wristband are the only people to transport the babe.

Nurse Janet Frank, public relations managing director for Orem Community, American Fork, and Utah Valley Regional Medical hospitals in Utah, said baby transporters have a special method of conveying the babe. "If a infant isn't being transported that way, we know in that location is a problem," she said.

Staff should identify themselves to the mother, instruct the mother of procedures their infant will be taken for, and expect the mother to question anyone non properly identified.

Hospital Visitor Identification

Consider means to provide visiting times for families and friends while ensuring proper precautions are in place.

All visitors must immediately sign-in at the nurses' station upon arrival. Ask the visitor which female parent they want to see, and each visitor must be signed out when leaving.
Distinctive stickers with the date of the visit should exist obtained at the check-in area and given to visitors to wear while in the hospital.
No person should exist allowed in without proper identification.
Mothers should be asked to designate a limited number of visitors who can come to the plant nursery.

"We only allow people to view the infant with permission from the parents," said Kim Harmon, director of women's services at Timpanogos Regional Hospital in Utah.

Merely allow visitors up to five minutes of observation time per visit to the neonatal nursery.

Staff Related Hospital Safe Factors

Poor training and training create inconsistency and defoliation, which abductors can utilize as an opportune time for a potential abduction. Ensure the following:

Abduction prevention measures should exist reviewed regularly and there should be adequate ongoing, in-service preparation. Baby-abduction drills should be preformed on a regular ground. Many hospitals are aware of the take a chance of infant abduction and several of these hospitals do routine "baby abduction drills" in the female parent/infant units. Hospital staff doesn't always know if the code chosen is a drill or the existent thing; and they all have to make sure their patients are accounted for.

Timpanogos Regional Hospital's marketing and public relations managing director, Jacque Chocolate-brown, said at ane of the drills they used a exam patient, where a babe was registered with an identification badge, and so taken out of the hospital past a family unit member. The mother played along as though her baby was actually missing.

"I think the scariest affair nosotros've ever done is really one of these drills. We knew what was going on, but the staff did not," Brownish said. As information technology is washed with all of the drills, the hospital went into lockdown, but this fourth dimension at that place was a real babe missing.

Hospital personnel should exist alert to any unusual behavior they encounter from individuals such as:

Repeated visiting "just to see" or "concord" the infants
Questioning about hospital procedures and floor layout such as "When is feeding?" or "Where are the stairs located?"
Taking uniforms or other means of hospital identification.
Physically carrying an baby in the hospital instead of using a crib or isolette
Anyone conveying large packages, totes or duffel bags off the nursing unit of measurement should take their belongings examined.

Such behavior should exist reported immediately to the unit supervisor.

Be aware of the possibility of diversionary tactics being used every bit a part of the abduction. An abductor could create a disturbance in another expanse of the hospital to create an opportune lark.
Be conscious of targeted rooms like those out of view of the nurses' station, shut to stairwells, fire exits or elevators.
Nursery doors should remain locked and never left unattended.

Hospital Safety Policies and Procedures

All infant abduction protocols and response plans should be in writing and known to all hospital staff.
Ensure that either the female parent or the nursing staff always supervises infants. The baby should always remain in the directly line of sight of either the hospital staff or mother/begetter/caregiver. Infants should never exist left unsupervised.
Provide the parent(southward) with educational textile and handouts explaining hospital policies in place to protect the safety of infants. Too, teach the parents/family unit the importance of abduction precautions.
Instruct the patient/family to notify the nursing staff immediately if they have any questions or concerns.
Exercise not mail service the mother or infant'due south proper name, address, or telephone number where it is visible to visitors.
But requite out information nigh the baby to the mother/begetter/caregiver and e'er verify the infant ID number on the wristbands before releasing the information.
Infants should be taken to mothers ane at a time.
Require visual proof of the identification and matching wristband for a person taking an infant from the hospital.
At the time of belch, the female parent/dischargee must bring the mother'southward ID band and photo ID.

Afterwards assay of several recently reported babe abductions, JCAHO institute issues in the procedures and systems of hospitals.

Common Infirmary Condom Issues

Security equipment not available, operational, or used as intended
Problems in the visualization of fundamental areas
Inadequate patient education
Staff related bug
Data related problems
Cultural factors inhibiting confronting unidentified visitors

Ways to Minimize Safety Errors

Reduce reliance on retention. Nurses, doctors, and other infirmary staff have an overwhelming corporeality to remember daily. Apply checklists for assessments and procedures.
Simplify. Keep policies and procedures uncomplicated to guarantee staff compliance, simply consummate to ensure patient safety. Reducing the number of steps makes it easier for staff to think, fulfill and perform policies and procedures.
Regulate. All policies, procedures and forms should be clearly documented and standardized. Staff must be oriented, trained and demonstrate competence in these policies. All nurses should exist instructed during an initial orientation and each quarter in abduction prevention procedures, precautions, and guidelines.
Use restrictions. If a divergence/discrepancy occurs in process, create a "stop" procedure so that proper activeness must be ensured before proceeding. If any difference occurs in patient identification or transport to mother, create "stops" so the baby is identified and secured.
Inform. Actively involve mothers in the intendance of their newborn. Inform the parent(southward) near policies and procedures that are designed for baby rubber and security.
Reduce handoffs. Reducing the number of steps, persons involved and handoffs will reduce the risk of errors.

"If mom wants to give the baby to grandma, that's mom'south choice, but the hospital staff [is] merely going to requite the baby to mom," said Brown.

Take the same personnel provide intendance as much as possible to reduce inconsistency and risk of unfamiliar personnel. Multiple caregivers or handoffs to other departments increment the risk that the mother may not know who is with her baby.

7. Keep a prophylactic environment. Make sure the hospital work surround focuses on safety and prevention. Ensure that at that place is good visibility of infants and entry/exits, restricted admission to unauthorized personnel and the power to "lock down" speedily.

8. Team training. An effective team will make fewer errors then training can enhance teamwork. Develop mechanisms to train new and current staff on policies/procedures, prophylactic measures, new equipment and ensure proficiency. Likewise, encourage feedback because this will correct behaviors leading to issues and will minimize error.

A expert idea is to constitute a review mechanism for identifying system errors to reduce errors rather than focusing blame on individuals.

Infant abductions are generally infrequent, yet devastating for anyone involved. It is important for hospital staff, nurses, and the mother and father/caregiver to exist aware of the potential threat and to keep security measures in mind. Preventative methods and guidelines are the first step to creating a safe environment for a newborn. The 2nd is standing to follow through with the precautions. This is something that tin be prevented.

References

Child Find (www.childfind.org)

Delisi, T (1998). Baby Security. Periodical of Newborn Nursing. three:5-6.

Found for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) (www.ihi.org)

Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations. (1996). Security in the Healthcare Surroundings.

Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations. (1998). Sentinel events: Evaluating Cause and Planning Comeback. Chapter seven: "Approaches to Fault Reduction and

Prevention". Sentinel Event Alert, Apr 9, 1999.

Rabun, J.B., For Healthcare Professionals: "Guidelines on Preventing Infant Abductions." Arlington, VA: National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (June 1993).

National Eye for Missing and Exploited Children (June 1993). Guidelines on Preventing Abduction of Infants from the Infirmary.

National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (1998). An Assay of Infant Abductors. Arlington, VA.
White, Susan V., "Helpful Hints on Preventing Infant Abduction." The Florida Hospital Association. Florida: (Dec. 1999)

Accutech is a division of Innovative Control Systems, Inc. (ICS), an industry-leading supplier of quality security systems for over 25 years. Accutech provides RFID based Infant Protection and Patient Wanderer Security System. For more information, contact Chris Konicek at 10125 S. 52nd Street, Franklin, WI 53132, (414) 855-1121 or visit www.Accutech-ICS.com

Alarms at Stairwell in Hospitals for Baby Abduction

Source: https://www.accutechsecurity.com/prevent-infant-abductions-in-your-hospital/

Madigan Eventrey