Active attacker training for healthcare personnel
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Limestone Learning recently developed a series of online tutorials for Health Emergency Management BC (HEMBC) designed to prepare hospital staff across BC to respond to a new type of emergency.
Called Code Silver — Active Attacker, the new emergency code applies to active-attacker situations. It goes beyond the existing Code White, in which a patient may become verbally or physically violent and need to be de-escalated. Code Silver’s goal is to employ run-hide-fight strategies to keep staff and patients safe.
Active-attacker training has become commonplace in the US. BC’s new Code Silver elearning is a response to a global increase in mass shootings and other violent incidents and will soon become required learning for all new hospital staff.
Limestone designed the elearning to provide awareness of Code Silver situations, while also equipping all healthcare personnel — clinical and non-clinical — to handle an incident.
To date, more than 3000 people have taken the training, and feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. The swift uptake demonstrates the power of elearning to reach a broad number of people quickly, as well as the appetite for training to handle active-attacker emergencies. The course is available to every employee in all of British Columbia’s health authorities, and Limestone is developing follow-up instructor-led modules to reinforce the elearning.
With healthcare providers under increasing strain, every bit of empowerment they receive to do their jobs safely is important. No BC hospital has ever had a Code Silver Situation, but hospital staff are building the knowledge and tools to deal with one should it ever arise. The new Code Silver training is a critical tool for keeping everyone safe.
Read more about Code Silver — Active Attacker training in the Victoria Times Colonist, North Shore News, Peace Arch News or Mission City Record.
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