Preparing Healthcare Teams Through Realistic, Hands-On Learning:

In 2026, the South Carolina Hospital Association (SCHA) offered Workplace Violence Simulation Workshops to help healthcare organizations strengthen workplace violence preparedness and response efforts.

The immersive, hands-on workshops used realistic, actor-based simulations informed by workplace violence events that have occurred in South Carolina healthcare settings. By practicing responses in a safe learning environment, participants had the opportunity to build practical skills that can be incorporated into their organization's existing workplace violence prevention and staff education efforts.

Learning Through Simulation:

The workshops focused on helping healthcare professionals translate workplace violence preparedness concepts into practical skills they can use with their teams.

Participants explored:

• De-escalation and communication: Practical techniques for recognizing, responding to and safely navigating escalating situations.

• Simulation facilitation: How to develop and facilitate realistic, actor-based workplace violence scenarios that allow staff to practice skills in a safe environment.

• Post-event debriefing: Approaches for facilitating meaningful debriefs that support learning, team wellbeing and systems improvement rather than blame.

• Learning from real events: How organizations can transform workplace violence incidents from their own settings into simulation scenarios to help teams learn from past experiences and prepare for future situations.

• Integrating simulation into preparedness efforts: Strategies for incorporating simulation-based learning into existing staff education and workplace violence prevention programs to reinforce skills and strengthen readiness over time.

Who Participated?

The workshop was designed for healthcare professionals involved in:

• Workplace violence prevention

• Workforce and staff safety

• Staff education and training

• Emergency preparedness

• Organizational response planning

• Patient and employee safety

2026 Workshops:

Upstate: July 24, 2026
Midlands: August 10, 2026
Lowcountry: September 9, 2026

Across three regional workshops, healthcare professionals participated in immersive simulations designed to strengthen workplace violence preparedness, de-escalation skills and organizational response.

Looking Ahead:

SCHA continues to support healthcare organizations in strengthening workforce safety, workplace violence prevention and preparedness.

Interested in future workplace violence training opportunities? Sign up for our SCHA newsletters to be notified when additional training opportunities become available and reach out to the SCHA WHY Team.