De-Escalation Training 2019: Safety by design

At Brigham and Women’s Faulkner Hospital, staff safety remains just as much a priority as patient safety. One way in which the hospital ensures staff safety is by requiring staff who have a high level of patient contact to attend De-Escalation Training, a program that has recently been updated to give staff the enhanced tools they need to remain safe on the job.

Since 2017, Security Operations Manager and Chief of Police Stewart Prue has been teaching the Awareness, Vigilance, Avoidance, Defense and Environment (AVADE) model. “We’ve found that this model better meets the needs of our staff and the environment in which they work,” says Prue. “It focuses on the fact that we always need to be aware of what’s going on around us and that it’s actually preferable to avoid a situation.”

As of February 2019, Prue will be offering an updated version of the AVADE training. “Every year, we look for the most up-to-date information so that we can maintain a continuous improvement model,” he says. “We have updated a lot of graphics and statistics, which will make the sessions more engaging and more robust.”

It’s the goal at BWFH to have all frontline staff trained in de-escalation via an initial full-day training and recertification every two years. For those working on recertification, the refreshed information should prove to be very engaging and spark meaningful conversation. “Even if you’ve been recertified several times, there is always more to learn,” says Prue. “We encourage anyone who could potentially need to go hands-on with a patient to stay abreast of the latest information.”

Workforce Development has also launched a HealthStream training module geared toward staff who miss the introduction given during new hire orientation but don’t necessarily need the full-day initial training. With 8-hour, 4-hour, 1-hour and HealthStream training options BWFH hopes to maximize the hospital audience and reduce instances of workplace violence.