Featured by SafeCare BC: Rethinking Violence Prevention Training in Long-Term Care

I was pleased to be featured by SafeCare BC in a video highlighting the importance of practical violence prevention training in long-term care.

Violence prevention is one of the most important health and safety issues facing healthcare and continuing care workplaces. Staff are often supporting residents and clients in complex, emotionally charged, and unpredictable situations. In those moments, safety depends on more than policy awareness. It depends on confidence, judgment, communication, teamwork, and training that reflects the real conditions of care.

Traditional classroom-based training has value, but it can be difficult to deliver consistently in a 24/7 care environment. Staff need to be scheduled. Shifts need to be covered. Trainers need to be available. Units need to keep running. The result is that even important training can become difficult to access, difficult to scale, or disconnected from the day-to-day realities of the work.

That is why I believe healthcare organizations need to think differently about how safety learning is designed.

OntheJob is a digital learning platform designed to bring training directly into the flow of work. Instead of relying solely on lengthy classroom sessions, OntheJob delivers short, scenario-based learning experiences that staff can complete in a practical and accessible way. The platform uses realistic situations, reflective questions, and interactive decision-making to help workers build confidence and judgment over time. What makes this approach more effective than traditional models is that learning becomes continuous, flexible, and closely connected to real workplace conditions. Staff are able to engage with training more consistently, leaders gain insight into workplace behaviours and pressures, and organizations can strengthen safety culture without disrupting care delivery.

The most effective training meets people where they are. It fits the workflow. It reflects real scenarios. It creates opportunities for conversation. It helps staff build confidence incrementally, rather than treating learning as a one-time event.

In the SafeCare BC video, I had the opportunity to speak about this shift and why it matters for long-term care. The goal is not simply to complete a training requirement. The goal is to strengthen how people think, respond, communicate, and support one another in real care environments.

For me, violence prevention is not just an occupational health and safety issue. It is also a people, culture, leadership, and systems issue.

When staff feel more prepared, they are better positioned to respond safely and confidently. When leaders understand the realities staff are facing, they are better positioned to improve systems. And when learning is embedded into the rhythm of work, safety becomes part of the culture rather than something separate from it.

Thank you to SafeCare BC for featuring this important conversation and for continuing to support safer workplaces across the continuing care sector.