Effectiveness of a University's Active Shooter Preparedness Program: An Evaluation

Area of Science:

• Workplace safety and emergency preparedness.
• Quality improvement in healthcare education.
• Occupational health and safety.

Background:

• Active shooter incidents (ASIs) have increased by over 66% between 2018 and 2022.
• Limited data exists on the effectiveness of current active shooter preparedness programs.
• This project evaluated a 2022 active shooter training (AST) at a university's School of Nursing (SON).

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of a specific active shooter training (AST) program.
• To assess changes in knowledge and confidence among nursing faculty and staff post-training.
• To provide data for improving future active shooter preparedness programs.

Main Methods:

• Online surveys were distributed to SON faculty and staff pre- and post-AST.
• Participants provided demographics, knowledge on ASI response, and self-reported confidence levels.
• Descriptive statistics were used to analyze survey data.

Main Results:

• 141 responses were analyzed (80 pre-survey, 61 post-survey).
• Overall confidence in reacting to ASIs increased significantly post-training.
• Knowledge of correct ASI responses improved by 7.8%, with a 33.6% increase in correctly answering "What is the correct response to an active shooter?"

Conclusions:

• The SON's AST program effectively enhanced trainee readiness and confidence.
• Integrating didactic and simulation elements into AST programs is recommended for greater efficacy.
• Workplace active shooter training and program evaluation should be a national priority, with occupational health nurses playing a key role.