Violence Prevention Training for Medical Staff

What is the Provincial Violence Prevention Curriculum for Medical Staff (PVPC)?

Providing a safe workplace for everyone at Island Health is a priority. The Provincial Violence Prevention Curriculum (PVPC) provides medical staff with strategies to prevent and de-escalate violent situations in the workplace. Violence prevention training allows medical staff to better protect themselves, their patients, and their colleagues, resulting in:

• Improved teamwork and collaboration
• Improved organizational culture
• Improved workplace safety
• Improved patient outcomes
• Reduced stress and burnout
• Reduced physician liability

The Violence Prevention training program consists of two modules:

• The first component is an online module (1.5 hours) and is a required learning module for all medical staff. This course is accredited.*
• The second component is in-person training (3.5hours) and is co-led by a physician lead and Occupational Health & Safety lead. This training is a requirement for medical staff practicing in the following high-risk areas:
  • Emergency Departments/Urgent Care
  • Mental Health & Substance Use
  • Psychiatry
  • Neurology
  • Long-term care
  • Community Health Services

“Approximately 40% of all violence-related claims come from healthcare workers, although these workers make up less than 5% of the workforce in BC. [Health care workers] have more accepted claims and lose more days of work due to acts of violence than any other group.”

- Preventing Violence in Health Care Handbook, WorkSafeBC

In-Person Violence Prevention Training Dates for 2025

May 12th from 12:00-15:30	RJH
May 30th from 12:00-15:30	VGH
June 19th from 12:00-15:30	CVH
June 20th from 12:00-15:30	CRDH
July 14th from 17:00-20:30	VGH
July 15th from 12:00-15:30	SPH

*More dates will be added for subsequent sessions in due course.

NEW Delivery Approach Tailored to Medical Staff

The in-person training module was reviewed in 2024 and adapted by physicians to meet the needs of Island Health medical staff. To help foster a peer-to-peer learning environment, all in-person modules will be co-led by an Island Health safety advisor and a medical staff co-facilitator.

 Dr. Robert Robson, MDCM, MSc., FRCPC

Co-Facilitator

With more than 50 years of clinical experience in remote, emergency, urgent and primary care settings, Dr. Robson has devoted his life to helping others. 

“Over the years the threat of workplace violence for members of the healthcare team has changed. The need to prevent and to reduce or mitigate the impact of such threats is crucial for the wellbeing of all. The PVPC session will help physicians and all other members of the team to monitor the risks of violent events, to better anticipate unexpected situations and to respond effectively to protect themselves and others.”

 

Dr. Katherine Bell 

Co-Facilitator

As a family physician and researcher of intimate partner violence, Dr. Bell is dedicated to supporting longitudinal, relationship-based, community family medicine in the Cowichan Valley.  

“In order to provide excellent clinical care and be safe at work, medical staff members require tailored violence prevention information and skills that match their unique roles. Violence prevention training isn't just about patient safety; it's about medical staff members valuing themselves, as much as they value their teams and their patients. To be in harm’s way, or to know you can't do your job as well as possible—that's not a choice medical staff should have to make. The PVPC session will equip medical staff to recognize and respond to situations so that they can continue to provide excellent patient care and keep medical staff and staff safe at work."

How to Complete the PVPC

Step One

• All medical staff are required to complete the Violence Prevention – PVPC for Physicians online module (1.5hr).
  • Online LearningHub module is accredited for up to 1.5 Mainpro+ credits and 1.5 MOC Section 3 Self-Assessment hours.*

Step Two

• To supplement the online module, medical staff practicing in high-risk areas must register for an upcoming Violence Prevention – PVPC for Medical Staff classroom session (3.5hr).
  • Course completion will be tracked and time will be compensated at sessional rates for medical staff practising in high-risk areas.

For assistance setting up or accessing an existing LearningHub account, please visit the LearningHub Support page.

*Due to a scheduled re-accreditation process on behalf of SWITCH BC, there will be a temporary lapse in MOC Section 3 accreditation from April 1 to May 2, 2025. Medical staff who complete the PVPC ONLINE module during this time may not be eligible for MOC Section 3 credits. 

Equivalencies

• Medical staff who have competed the 7.5hr PVPC training for health care workers do not need to complete the PVPC for Medical Staff classroom session, as both programs are considered equivalent.
• Since 2019, physicians who completed PVPC for Medical Staff classroom session during their UBC residency meet current provincial requirements for violence prevention training.