COOL KRIS THE CALM IN THE STORM
SIZE doesn’t mean much to 1.57cm hospital security guard Kris Cumming – it’s the ability to take control of the situation that counts.
A protector of Gold Coast medical staff for more than a decade, Ms Cumming has been the only full-time female protective service officer at the Robina Hospital since 2013.
Small, blonde and chirpy, she isn’t the average security guard, but despite the difficult situations she faces, she says she wouldn’t change her job for the world.
“It isn’t always about being a big size or being male, it is about deescalating a situation,” Ms Cumming said.
“I am five-foot two and am always prepared for the possibility that I will get hurt, but a lot of the job is about communicating that we are here to help.
“People can be emotional, no one goes to the hospital for fun. It can be frustrating and scary – and we understand that.
“When you do something to help out like get a cup of tea or something, the perception turns on its head, the situations calms.”
Ms Cumming said she had seen a rise in the number of drug-affected patients to the hospital.
“The rise in substance abuse has made my job a lot harder. People on substances are tough to negotiate with.
“We deal a lot with emergency department and mental health. It is getting more difficult with cross addictions, and trying to show people we just want to make them safe.
“It is times like that I appreciate the blokes I work with. We are like a family.
“Even the doctors and the nurses make our role much easier. You know everyone is going to do what they need to if things go pear-shaped.”
Previously a security guard at Crown Casino and Jupiter’s, Ms Cumming said there was a big difference.
“At the casino you simply kick out those you have trouble with. At a hospital you are working hard to keep people in so they can be treated. It isn’t always a happy place to work, but it is worth it.”