Public Safety Officer - Career Profile |
Career OverviewPublic safety officers work to provide security to the patients and staff that work at hospitals and healthcare facilities. This may include supervising patients or families that are visibly agitated or highly emotional or controlling large numbers of individuals in emergency rooms or outpatient treatment centers.
A public safety officer must be able to effectively communicate with people that are in stressful situations. They should have excellent verbal and communications skills and should be compassionate with individuals that are suffering from a shock or from loss.
The public safety officer should be able to use physical restraints if necessary to remove dangerous or potentially dangerous individuals from public places within the hospital or healthcare facility. A public safety officer may often be required to assist with individuals that are brought in for treatment that may be victims of crimes, be involved in a criminal activity themselves, or may be using drugs or alcohol prior to admission to the hospital or healthcare facility.
A public safety officer should be in good overall physical shape and should be aware of all hospital policies regarding restraint or the use of physical force on the property. They should be experienced in working in crisis situations and often have a background in law enforcement or a related field.
A public safety officer needs to work both independently and as part of a security team. They are often required to work evening and shift work that includes weekends and holidays.
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Career RequirementsThe basic requirement for a public safety officer is a background in law enforcement. Most public safety officers will have completed police academy training or have a degree in criminology or law enforcement, depending on the state requirements.
Some public safety officers may also be required to have training in non-violent restraints using a program recognized by the hospital or healthcare facility. Completion of paperwork and incident logs is usually a requirement of the position.
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Job OutlookIncreasing demand for safety in emergency rooms and other hospital or healthcare facility departments has lead to an increase in the number of public safety officers employed by hospitals across the United States. Many of these positions are on a part-time basis with options to work into full time employment with seniority.
It is estimated that the demand for public safety officers in hospitals and healthcare facilities will continue to increase at an average rate for the next several years. Increasing security concerns for both staff and patients will help to keep the demand steady for public safety officers.
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Career TrackA public safety officer with full-time or significant part-time experience and some background in supervision and management can move into management positions in the security or safety department within the facility.
Specialized public safety officers with extensive experience in very large facilities may have opportunities to provide training and consultation services to new and existing hospitals that are increasing or enhancing their safety procedures and protocols.
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CompensationThe average salary for a public safety officer in a general hospital or medical center is $16,000 to $25,000 per year. Those individual public safety officers that work part-time are usually paid an hourly wage that ranges from $10.00 to $15.00 per hour, usually working less than 15 hours per week.
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