Carry in a Medical Facility

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Way too many "depends" answers. I work in a hospital. Mine though, is federal. It is a federal crime to carry a weapon, even leaving it in the car would make Uncle Sam cranky. Since I am not fond of federal prison, I do not carry at work. Even if found justified in use, I would still be subject to a fenced-in vacation.

The local hospitals are a different story. They are posted but at most they can only ask you to leave. If you do not leave, you can then face trespass charges. This only applies to Idaho, I have no input for others.
 
Bobson:

I'm 68, and pretty much retired, but one thing that I'd avoid is an employer (or State law) that forbids me from at least having the gun in the car while at work.

Here in OH, with a few exceptions, a sign on a parking lot is a civil matter, which makes it all but unenforceable. However, your employee manual can over-ride that.

Not to mention that two of the local hospitals are in rather bad areas. One fired their own Security forces and hired a "contract" agency. The new guys helped somebody steal a car.... The other one - the one with the metal detectors at the ER entrance - is in what i call a "two-shotgun" area. One for you, and one for the guy you pay to watch your car....

Doctors are funny.... When I was quite young, I had the opportunity to play with some deactivated guns that had been given to my uncle. The giver was a brain surgeon! (And my uncle, while he'd been a pistol instructor during WWII, hated them. I think he was too polite to just toss them out.)

Then there's my personal physician. Been going to the guy for around 30 years, and have never gone into his office without wearing something that'd give Bloomberg fits, and the doc usually notices the gun. At which point he always asks why.

And, next Thursday, I see a local eye guy who's a hunter. Usually, he'd rather show me a picture of his latest Elk than his kids....

Enjoy the move!

Regards,
 
"...there will be a policy and procedures manual that will state..." More likely 'might state'. Although you're probably right. Hospitals and the people who run 'em tend to be decidedly anti-firearm. Anyway, you don't get to decide if you can carry at work or not.
In any case, if you think you need a firearm at any regular place of employment(no badges involved) you should think about finding another line of work.
 
Not a good idea. Regardless of law, I think you are taking a risk by carrying in a med facility. That said, I don't go there unless I'm sick.
 
In TN you can carry unless its posted. If its posted and you get caught and they ask you to leave and you don't you can be arrested.
 
tnxdshooter said:
In TN you can carry unless its posted. If its posted and you get caught and they ask you to leave and you don't you can be arrested.
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Uh, no. If it's properly posted with the correct verbage or just a "circle/ slash" decal, it's a Class C Misdeamnor with a $500 fine, and possible loss of your permit if you're caught. The signs have the force of law in TN.
 
A lot of responders seem to not have noticed that the OP is asking about whether he can carry in a hospital as an employee, which is a very different kettle of fish than doing so as a patient or visitor.
 
No hospital is going to allow its employees to carry a firearm unless the are security because doing so would open themselves up to litigation...

I carry a small and light polymer .380 in an IWB holster at my job who also has a no firearm policy. There should only be one reason for anyone to ever see it, and if that reason presents itself, then keeping my life will be more important than keeping my job.
 
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What Prax and MM said.

Former hospital employee here, in an extremely gun-friendly town. Carry law and employee rules and regs are apples and oranges. I think it will be a very rare facility that will not have a "no weapons" clause in their employee manual, due to liability concerns rather than any anti-gun sentiment.

I had to pay close attention to developing state law, and change to a non-gated employee parking lot to legally keep a gun in my vehicle.

I wish you the best of luck, and if you find a carry-friendly facility to work in, they'll likely be good people to work for on other levels.
 
I carried concealed, while wearing scrubs and lab coat,
the last 5 years before retiring. It was not prohibited by
my employer and many doctors carried. Most nurses had
handguns in the purses or backpacks. If you choose your
new home up here you should check with the employer.
My method was a J frame using a Barami hipgrip.
 
Story about an employee arrested at UAB in Birmingham, AL for carrying concealed. Of course, the story is lacking in details. Don't know how it was discovered carrying concealed. The story reports the arrest was questionable but 33/40 reported he had a court date scheduled. Regardless, he lost his job unfortunately.


http://www.al.com/news/index.ssf/2014/08/uab_health_systems_fires_analy.html

Incidentally, UAB PD does store handguns for visitors/employees who want to check them in. I just kept mine in my car when I worked there.
 
Hospital carry

I'd be careful carrying in a hospital...many have mentioned that 'policy' will bite you in the career in most shops.
Another thing to avoid is carrying near the MRI machine: Remember what that 'M' stands for. Smacking a 3 million dollar machine with your CCW is a job-ender.
 
Realist:

Actually, in the event your carry weapon is in a good solid holster, it's ever funnier when you and the weapon end up solidly attached to the MRI :D....

But, seriously (well, almost), you definitely are going to be "outed"....

OK, a story: I'm personally responsible (I think) for a gunbuster sign outside of a local X-Ray center. I went there for a GI-Series, and left the gun in the car. Surprised the the heck out of me that I was able to use a lockable locker in the dressing room.

The following week, I had to get a CT scan, and presuming I'd be able to secure my P3AT in a locker, left it in my pocket. Instead of using the dressing room, the Tech hauled me into the CT scan room, had me lay down on the "bed", and "pull your pants down to your knees".... (Looking for intestinal issues.)

I managed to tuck the gun behind my knee, and all went well. (Getting my pants back in place while staying under the sheet was a little interesting, but the P3AT is awfully tiny.)

Apparently the CT "film" covered the area 'round my knees and....

Drove by the next week and there was a BIG sign on the front door....

(At least it's in a decent area :D.)

Regards,
 
"I'm studying to go into the medical field"

I find that to be quite ambiguous. What are you studying? There are a number of medically related jobs outside if hospitals, in clinics and such like. In Michigan, for just one example, hospitals are GFZs by state law, but clinics are not hospitals. My clinic based primary care physician and his nurse-assistant both know that I carry in the clinic. He has never commented; she giggles.

I might add that my veterinarian carries, my dentist carries, my dental hygenist carries — and they are all in the "medical field."
 
I've worked in a number of hospitals here in the Houston area and I've yet to see one that wasn't posted with a 30.06 sign at every public entrance, and probably all of the employee ones as well. In addition they've all had policies against employees carrying guns. There may be some that allow it but I'd be kind of surprised.

As others have stated there's also the challenge of carrying a firearm in scrubs, if that's what your general work wear will be. I don't think I have a single pair of scrubs that would support something as heavy as a loaded firearm.
 
cambeul41 said:
"I'm studying to go into the medical field"

I find that to be quite ambiguous.
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You're correct, and I appreciate your concern. I gave enough information in the OP to have this question answered; and yes, I did leave out other (irrelevant) information, such as the specific area of my studies.

I know I'll be working in a hospital. Whether I'm studying to be a physician, a sonographer, or a janitor isn't relevant.
 
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Rob G said:
As others have stated there's also the challenge of carrying a firearm in scrubs, if that's what your general work wear will be. I don't think I have a single pair of scrubs that would support something as heavy as a loaded firearm.
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A Taurus TCP, Ruger LCP, DiamondBack DB380, or a Kel Tec p3at would all fit that niche IMHO. I carry a TCP when I'm wearing gym shorts or pants while running or working out, and it does not weigh down my pants. I actually forget it's there. Otherwise, I carry a larger pistol...
 
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Bobson:

I hesitate to recommend the P3AT, but you can stick one just about anywhere, although some kind of pocket holster or "phone case" is pretty much a necessity. Mine lives in my bathrobe pocket....

IAC, there are a lot of odd holsters, like the "Thunderwear" variations, as well as "belly band" rigs - essentially an Ace Bandage with a holster in it - that also can work under scrubs.

My real problem with scrubs (my wife wears 'em on her job at a local Nursing Home) is that they're awfully "flimsy", and about anything - your position, fluids, etc., could make something visible, so it's necessary to think about additional underwear.

(My problems with the P3AT are best covered elsewhere if anybody cares. It does work now, though.)

Sonographer: About 15 years ago, I was hospitalized (pneumonia), and one of the docs ordered up an echocardiogram. (I think I spelled that right :D.) The doc doing it kept getting my name wrong, and was breaking in some new hardware. He didn't find anything, but I still wonder :D....

Good luck in the Medical profession! My daughter's an RN. (My dad was a Dentist, and one sister's an MD. Two nephews are MD's, too.) Get a cold and the advice never ends :D.... (I'm essentially retired as a computer geek and rent-a-cop.)

Regards,
 
In any case, if you think you need a firearm at any regular place of employment(no badges involved) you should think about finding another line of work.
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What a silly thing to say. If that applies, then if you think you need a firearm at your home, you should think about finding another place to live, huh?
 
Not to derail the thread but SC is the only state in the SE that is like this. Every other state honors our permits and we honor everyone else...except SC.
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I think you have some old info. These are the states that SC honors:

South Carolina
AK, AL, AR, AZ, FL, IA, ID, IN, KS, KY, LA, MI, MO, MS, MT, NC, ND, NE, NM, NV, OH, OK, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA, VT, WV, WY

From the Handgunlaw website.
 
As said before...it mainly depends on state law (and maybe fed law a fed facility).

For a short time, my wife once worked at a Birmingham trauma center to enhance her resume. Birmingham consistently rates as the fifth or six "most dangerous city per capita" in the US. This ER had copious signage outside the ER prohibiting firearms. The facility did offer escorts to and from the parking area, but I insisted that if she was going to work there that she would be carrying AND have a security escort AND work days only.

She hadn't worked there long and things were unusually slow one day. A bunch of ER staff were taking a break in the nurse's lounge. One nurse she worked with told a doctor: "Hon, you need to check out my new Sig....it is gorgeous." In a few minutes almost everybody was comparing hand guns like it was a proper gun show. "Love these new grips." "The 40 cal was too much. Traded for a 9mm." Etc. :D
 
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