February 10, 2026

VANCOUVER, B.C. − With funding from the Ministry of Health and in partnership with B.C. health unions, employers, and physicians, SWITCH BC has completed the update of the Provincial Violence Prevention Curriculum (PVPC) eLearning course.

The 3.5-hour online course is designed for all health sector workers and is available at health authorities through LearningHub and iLearn. It covers best practices and training levels for various roles and work settings.

The updated violence prevention training includes:

• Integrated Indigenous Cultural Safety and Humility, and Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion principles, and Trauma-Informed Practice.
• Healthcare scenarios relevant for today.
• Customized content and interactive learning activities with a contemporary design.
• New accessibility features such as narrated presentations, closed captioning, playback speed control, and mobile-friendly options. This helps learners access the training in ways that meet their needs.

“We heard from more than 1,500 health care workers in B.C. and their feedback directly helped shape the updated course,” said Victoria Schmid, SWITCH BC CEO. “Workers in all health care jobs, from nurses to support service workers, paramedics to care aides, will learn how to prevent violence and to protect themselves from violence at work through realistic scenarios. The updated course also advances worker health and safety through cultural humility and Trauma-Informed Practice.”

More than 1,500 health workers and physicians who represented more than 110 different health sector jobs contributed input to the update. They took part in 333 engagement sessions, including surveys and meetings.

A total of 559 people completed the new course during a pilot period at Island Health from September 26 to December 31, 2025, and gave it an 89% satisfaction rating.

Watch, read, and download bite-sized, microlearnings from the course here: https://switchbc.ca/programs/violence-prevention/pvpc-microlearnings/

Updating the facilitator-led, classroom training is the next phase of the PVPC refresh, with SWITCH BC working closely with partners. The revised facilitator-led classroom violence prevention training is expected to be complete later in 2026.

Statistics on violence in healthcare in B.C.

• According to the BC Nurses’ Union, Licensed Practical Nurses, Registered Nurses, and Registered Practical Nurses account for 31% of injuries from acts of violence in B.C.
  • A 2023 poll from the Hospital Employees’ Union shows 82% of health care aides and assistants face violence at work.
• WorkSafeBC data from 2020 to 2024 shows that nurse aids, orderlies, and patient service associates had more than 2,900 accepted claims for acts of violence – the highest number of accepted claims of any occupation in B.C. WorkSafeBC reports that from 2019-2023, approximately 14% of injuries in the health care sector were due to acts of violence or force.
• SWITCH BC’s 2023 What We Learned report found 89% of health workers who participated in our survey, virtual, or in-person sessions said they faced verbal violence over the previous year – and nearly one in two workers said they faced physical violence on the job.

To learn more, visit: switchbc.ca/programs/violence-prevention/

For more media requests, please contact:

Erica Simpson, Communications Manager, SWITCH BC

Email: Erica.Simpson@switchbc.ca | Cell: 604-764-2475