Physicians and medical residents from across British Columbia recently tested the updated facilitator-led Provincial Violence Prevention Curriculum (PVPC), helping strengthen the training before it launches across the province this fall.

Thirty-two participants took part in two pilot sessions, including members of the Provincial Violence Prevention Working Group and the Physician Advisory Group who helped develop the course. They worked through the training, shared their experiences, and provided feedback to make sure it reflects today’s healthcare workplaces.

The updated course comes as workplace violence continues to be a serious concern for physicians. According to the 2025 Doctors of BC Health Authority Engagement Survey, 34 per cent of physicians experienced threatening behaviour, verbal abuse, or physical violence in the past year.  Verbal abuse and patient aggression also increased from 33 per cent in 2023 to 50 per cent in 2025.

The pilot was led by Dr. Rob Robson, Island Health PVPC physician co-facilitator, and Matthew Rolheiser, SWITCH BC’s Manager, Education and Training. Participants worked through realistic situations that can happen in clinics and hospitals. In one practice scenario, a 14-year-old patient believed classmates had been poisoning their lunch, refused care, and accused the health care team of trying to harm them with medication. Participants practiced recognizing warning signs, assessing the situation, and using de-escalation skills. Afterward, they discussed what worked, what they might do differently, and reflected on their own approach to similar situations in their practice.

“It was really amazing to see the course in real time and the fantastic feedback and thoughts from participants,” said Dr. Erin Fukushima, emergency physician and member of the Provincial Violence Prevention Working Group.

The response from participants was entirely positive. Every participant said the course would be valuable for physicians, with three-quarters strongly agreeing. Nearly nine in 10 said the scenarios reflected situations they may encounter in their work, and almost 87 per cent reported feeling more confident responding to workplace violence and aggressive behaviour after completing the training.

Feedback from the pilot will be used to finalize the physician and medical staff course before it launches this fall. A facilitator-led version of the training for other health care workers is also being developed.