When Destiny heard screams, she raced to a hospital room, where she saw a patient assaulting a care technician. As a charge nurse at Northeast Georgia Health System, she was trained to de-escalate violent situations.
Georgia is the latest state to enact a law that allows hospitals to create independent police forces. Critics worry the law enforcement focus could have unintended consequences.
Nearly 30 states have active or proposed laws authorizing independent hospital police forces. Groups representing nurses and hospitals say the laws address the daily realities of patients who become aggressive or agitated. But critics worry about unintended consequences.