Medical staff violence prevention: Three step pilot program making an impact

More than 30 medical staff have participated in a new Three Step Violence Prevention Pilot designed to give (non-employed) physicians, midwives, nurse practitioners and dentists the knowledge, skills and confidence to handle difficult situations.

The most recent session, held in Fernie on March 12, brought together medical staff, hospital leaders and even local RCMP officers to strengthen safety strategies.

Rob Mitchell, Interior Health (IH) lead, medical staff safety and wellness, states, “We were able to deliver multiple pilot sessions with the collaboration of IH, the Facilities Engagement Initiative, and local medical and administrative leaders—all came together to make these pilots impactful.”

The pilot training follows a structured approach to ensure medical staff feel prepared and supported:

1. Online learning module – Medical staff complete a self-paced online course covering key violence prevention concepts.
2. In-person medical staff session – A facilitated session allows participants to review content, discuss real-life scenarios, and practice techniques to boost confidence.
3. Team-based workshop – Medical staff, nurses, leaders, and local RCMP collaborate in a hands-on session to explore strategies for working together in high-risk situations.

Dr. Tara Chalmers-Nixon, chief of staff at Elk Valley Hospital (EVH), shared how the recent session in Fernie was eye-opening and transformative.

“The Violence Prevention course was very successful with many participants from diverse disciplines at EVH. Both the morning and afternoon sessions led by Helen Clugston were highly valuable and brought us together as an institution to discuss difficult and sometimes frightening situations. Helen did an incredible job leading two days of learning for our EVH team. Having our local RCMP and Protection Services part of the sessions was also incredibly helpful.”

Participants in Fernie committed to immediate safety improvements, including emergency department huddles, to review safety strategies in real time.

Before Fernie, an earlier pilot session was held in Creston in November, with more pilots planned throughout the region. Dr. Johnny Chang, chief of staff in Creston and newly appointed medical director, Medical Staff Safety, reflected on the importance of these training sessions.

“Helen was super engaging and helped us rethink violence prevention; it’s all about teamwork, preparation, and empathy - not a self defense class. So much of what we do is communicating and addressing patient concerns. It’s the reason we are in health care anyway!”

Director of Clinical Operations for Fernie and Creston Leala Tomlinson shared, “We learn and practise other courses together as a collaborative team; I’m so glad to see we are prioritizing this work in the same way…Helen’s enthusiasm for violence prevention is contagious and has triggered a ripple effect amongst our teams.”

Interior Health is continuing to pilot this training initiative with:

• Expanded training – Future pilots will explore physical safety, psychological safety, and practice-ready interventions.
• Ongoing evaluation – Interior Health is assessing the impact of these pilots to inform potential long-term implementation.
• Funding partnerships – This initiative is supported through Interior Health and the Physician Master Agreement Memorandum of Agreement on Physical and Psychological Safety with local support from Facilities Engagement.

For more information on the Three Step Violence Prevention Pilot or other Medical Staff Safety and Wellness initiatives, contact Rob Mitchell rob.mitchell@interiorhealth.ca. 

About Medical Staff & Safety Wellness Initiative (MSSW)

To ensure that medical staff feel physically safe while they practice, MSSW supports medical staff with interventions such as online violence prevention training, in-person violence prevention training with a skilled facilitator, and site-based safety reviews and simulations with the broader care team.