Implementing a Stop the Bleed Course and Active Shooter Principles With Prelicensure Nursing Students: A Pilot Study

Area of Science:

• Emergency Medicine
• Trauma Care
• Nursing Education

Background:

• Firearm deaths exceed motor vehicle accidents in the U.S.
• Mass shootings are increasing, prompting trauma system adaptations.
• The Stop the Bleed course is a key public education initiative for bleeding control.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of simulation-based training for prelicensure nursing students in an active shooter scenario.
• To assess student learning outcomes, confidence in hemorrhage control, and perceived relevance to nursing curricula.

Main Methods:

• Thirty nursing students participated in a high-fidelity active shooter simulation using Run-Hide-Fight strategies.
• Learning objectives focused on psychological safety, debriefing, and reflective learning, aligned with simulation best practices.
• Post-simulation surveys measured perceived learning, confidence in skills, and desire for further emergency preparedness education.

Main Results:

• Students reported high engagement and educational value (M=4.87).
• Confidence in hemorrhage control (4.70) and tourniquet application (4.83) was significantly elevated.
• Participants strongly supported mandatory training (4.74) and expressed high motivation for further emergency preparedness education (4.83).

Conclusions:

• Simulation-based training can effectively introduce realistic, high-stress scenarios to enhance decision-making and skill application.
• Students successfully applied Stop the Bleed principles, including triage, tourniquet, and hemostatic gauze use, in a simulated trauma event.
• While not a complete solution, Stop the Bleed training can serve as a valuable tool for integrating trauma care into nursing education and improving community response to gun violence.