Security on the psychiatry ward

I was leaving the psychiatry ward earlier today when I turned around and saw an older gentleman wearing a veteran's cap and street clothes, wanting to exit through the locked doors with me. I only had an instant to react: "Are you supposed to be leaving this floor?" He looked up at me with some surprise: "Oh, yes." Should I believe him? Before I decided to not let him through, a nurse who overheard this exchange yelled down the hall that it was okay for him to leave. He turned out to be the janitor leaving after his shift. I felt embarrassed and apologized, but the veteran took it in stride and said he was glad I'm being careful. The nurse also told me later that day that I did the right thing. There are few better ways to fail the psychiatry clerkship than letting a psychiatric patient escape!