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Multimodal Active Shooter Training for Emergency Department Personnel: An Initiative for Knowledge, Comfort, and Retention

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 November 2021

Elizabeth M. Regan Open the ORCID record for Elizabeth M. Regan [Opens in a new window] ,
Thomas Cranmer  and
Timothy Hanaway
Elizabeth M. Regan*
Affiliation:
Emergency Department, Advocate Christ Medical Center, Oak Lawn, Illinois, USA
Thomas Cranmer
Affiliation:
Emergency Department, Advocate Christ Medical Center, Oak Lawn, Illinois, USA
Timothy Hanaway
Affiliation:
Emergency Department, Advocate Christ Medical Center, Oak Lawn, Illinois, USA
*
Corresponding author: Elizabeth M. Regan, Email: eregan24@gmail.com
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Abstract

Background:

While hospital-related shootings are not common, recent years have demonstrated an increasing trend, especially involving the emergency department (ED). Despite this increase, there remains a lack of effective training for providers for active shooter events. Existing trainings commonly lack active participation, departmental-specific plans, or feasibility.

Methods:

Sixty-six emergency medicine physicians, nurses, and technicians participated in a two-phased multimodal active shooter training aimed to increase response knowledge and comfort. The initial training phase included a lecture on “Run-Hide-Fight” principles with departmental adaptations, followed by scenario-based discussion, and then safety walkthrough. Months later in the second phase, participants completed an active shooter simulation. An identical knowledge survey was collected before and after each phase along with descriptive analysis. Surveys were compared using paired t-test. Comfort levels were reported on a Likert scale and compared by paired t-test.

Results:

Paired t-tests confirmed a statistically significant difference in both active shooter knowledge and comfort levels. Participants showed retention of response knowledge and comfort with implementing response behaviors. Further descriptive analysis demonstrated effective fleeing and barricading, suggesting a real-life gain of knowledge and comfort.

Conclusion:

A two-phased, multimodal training design for active shooter response was successful in increasing ED provider active shooter knowledge, comfort, retention, and effective response behaviors.

Keywords

Active ShooterDisaster PlanningEmergency medicineEmergency PreparednessSafety Management
Type
Original Research
Information
Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness , Volume 17 , 2023 , e63
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2021. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Society for Disaster Medicine and Public Health, Inc

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