Temple Hospital nurses, staffers demand more security measures

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Nurses at Temple say their job is more dangerous than it used to be. They want the hospital to do more to protect them.

"Enough is enough. We can't keep doing the same things over and over again," said Marty Harrison, president of the Temple University Hospital Nurses Association.

Nurses and staff members took their demands to the front steps of Temple University Hospital on Wednesday afternoon, holding a press conference to air their concerns. They say the hospital has become an increasingly dangerous place to work.

"People are scared to come to work," said Carlos Aviles, president Temple Allied Professionals union.

Now nurses and staffers are demanding changes, including more security, better staffing and active shooter training. It's something charge nurse Marie Lopresti says she and her colleagues could have used on Sunday, July 13, when an active shooter alert was issued after staffers say a man ran into the emergency room, just before staffers say there were gunshots outside the ER.

"It was terrifying. It was terrifying for the patients. It was terrifying for the staff," said Lopresti, who added that nurses and staffers worked to make sure patients were safe during the situation.

Temple Health officials said the alert was unfounded and that there was no active shooter on campus, adding that there was never a real threat.

However, nurses and staff members say the hospital needs more police stationed there 24/7.

"Our campus is not just a hospital. It's four blocks surrounding the hospital," said Aviles. "We used to have six officers patrolling that. Now we have two."

In April, a man was shot right outside Temple Hospital.

In a statement to Action News, Temple Health says the hospital "maintains comprehensive safety protocols, including weapons detection systems at all entrances, metal detection, and x-ray machines in the emergency department and a dedicated 24/7 police presence."

Hospital leaders also tell Action News, "The safety and security of our patients and staff is our highest priority."

Nurses and staff members, though, want to see change. They're worried about scenes like one that played out in 2023 when three people were shot in a drive-by shooting outside the hospital.

They also want to create a de-escalation team that can respond when tempers flare in the ER. Nurses and staff members say they want to continue their work of saving lives without worrying about their own safety.

"We need to be safe," said Lopresti. "The other patients need to be safe, and that's what the bottom line is."

Temple Health says hospital leadership visited the emergency department to provide support after the active shooter alert. Nurses and staff members, though, say the hospital underplayed what happened. The union representing Temple Hospital nurses will renegotiate their contract in the coming months. They say safety will be a sticking point in those negotiations.