Violence Prevention
The Provincial Violence Prevention Curriculum (PVPC) was developed in 2010 to fill a need for effective, recommended, and provincially recognized violence prevention (VP) education for all British Columbia health care workers across a range of public health care settings. The PVPC was refined and updated in 2015 to align with trauma informed practice, dementia care, and paediatric care principles.
Principles of PVPC
Health care employers have made a provincial commitment to ensure the health and safety of all workers against violence in the workplace. Providing training is only one part of the employers’ responsibilities in an effective violence prevention program.
There are four main principles in the Provincial Violence Prevention Curriculum. The following principles apply to both employers and workers:
Prevention is everyone’s responsibility
Violence prevention programs require the commitment of all levels of the organization to be successful (e.g., workers, supervisors, managers, directors, etc.). Both employers and workers need to apply the principles in order to help build and sustain a safe work culture.
Communicate respectfully
Respectful verbal, non-verbal and vocal communication helps build relationships and rapport, which can protect against violence. Health care workers need to attempt to build rapport and communicate in such a way that won’t contribute to escalation and may prevent people from escalating in the first place.
Be proactive, not reactive
By being aware of the risk for violence, always assessing the risk, and communicating the risk to co-workers, we can work toward preventing escalation from occurring as much as possible.
Take personal responsibility for the safety of yourself and others
Every individual has a responsibility to create a safe environment by following and using violence prevention tools, resources, and systems (e.g., violence risk alerts, Code White processes, behavioural care plans, etc.)
PVPC Framework
The curriculum is based on the overarching principles and a Provincial Violence Prevention Curriculum framework that identifies four (4) main responsibilities in preventing and protecting against violence in the workplace.
PVPC Curriculum
There are different components to the PVPC curriculum, including e-learning modules, classroom sessions, and refresher training. The minimum components health care workers should complete depends on their role in the organization as well as whether they provide direct care in areas considered to be high risk.
Accessing the Curriculum
| If you are... | ...access the PVPC e-learning modules in... | ...using the link below |
| An employee of an HEABC member organization other than a health authority (e.g., HEABC affiliate organization)
Click here for information on creating a Learning Hub account as an employee of an HEABC affiliate. |
Learning Hub | |
| A health authority employee (other than Interior Health) | Learning Hub | Learning Hub Login |
| An Interior Health employee | iLearn | iLearn |
| An ambulance paramedic or dispatcher | Learning Hub | BCEHS – Violence Prevention for Paramedics |
| A Correctional Health Services employee | Learning Hub | Violence Prevention for Correctional Health Care Employees (PVPC - C) |
| Medical staff (including physicians, dentists, midwives) | Learning Hub | PVPC for Physicians |
| A first year resident doctor or a resident doctor new to BC and are required to complete the standard OHS orientation for residents | Learning Hub | Resident Doctors OHS and Violence Prevention Training |
| A student who needs to complete the Student Practice Education Core Orientation (SPECO) | Learning Hub | SPECO Curriculum |
| A health care assistant (HCA) who needs to complete the standard orientation for HCAs | Learning Hub | HCA Standardized Orientation |
| Other | Learning Hub | Learning Hub Login |
Note: the Learning Hub is managed by the Provincial Health Services Authority (PHSA). For technical assistance with user accounts and courses on the Learning Hub, please contact Learning Hub Help directly at http://learninghubhelp.phsa.ca