A recent attack on nurses at St. John's Hospital in Maplewood, Minn., highlights an increase in patient violence — a daily issue for healthcare workers, according to an article on the KARE11 website.
The incident at St. John's left four nurses injured.
At Hennepin County Medical Center (HCMC) in downtown Minneapolis, healthcare workers recently took part in an active shooter simulation exercise.
"We deal with real life and death here every day. It's one of, I think, the realities of what we need to be prepared for," said Scott Wordelman, HCMC's vice president of ambulatory administration.
A network of surveillance cameras keep watch on every corner of HCMC and a newly-installed alert system keeps workers informed. HCMC has also built new security desks. Hennepin County sheriff's deputies patrol the grounds and just one hospital entrance is open in the evenings and on weekends.
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