Date of Last Review: 5/7/08
SME: Associate Director of Nursing
Code Green Procedure
Purpose
To define hospital practice during an attempted elopement of a patient.
Policy
- The person first identifying an attempted elopement notifies switchboard
and states
“Code Green in Progress”. Person identifies sex of the patient. “M” is utilized to designate male gender and “F” to designate female gender.
1.1 If known , the staff provides the operator with location ( e.g. hospital grounds, 1st floor hallway)
- Switchboard operator pages “Code Green (M) or Code Green (F)” and location if unknown overhead three times, then “all clear” once the Code is cleared.
- All entry into and out of building halts upon hearing “Code Green”. Patients who are out on fresh air breaks remain outside. Security staff will ensure that exit and entrance to building is halted until “Code Green all clear” is given. All persons in lobby to be instructed that due to security reasons no exit may occur until Code Green is cleared.
- Person who identifies elopement in progress calls security to give description of patient.
- Unit staff begins head count of patients to determine that all are accounted for. (This applies to patients being escorted as well as patients on units at the time Code Green is called.)
- Security/UT police follow protocol to search for patient.
- Code Green is cleared when patient location is identified and / or it is determined that exit from building has already occurred.
- Non-clinical staff should report any sighting of patients attempting elopement to front desk.
