Responsibility for patients in an active shooter scenario

Responsibility for patients in an active shooter scenario

It is unfathomable to consider having a shooter on the loose in your place of business. For patients, families, and nursing staff, the idea of an active shooter situation at a medical facility is terrifying and distressing. The best procedures for responding to an active shooter, including recognizing the issue, alerting the excellent staff of the problem, and keeping themselves, patients, and visitors safe, must be taught to nurses if an active shooter event occurs at an acute care facility (The Joint Commission, 2014). The focus must be on expanding education to include security officer in-services on patient units, teaching nursing staff how to use emergency preparedness flipbooks customized for their teams, and participating in active shooter drills and simulations to better understand knowledge and confidence levels with an active shooter emergency.

Once it is safe to do so, injured patients can receive care. As a nurse, you might offer immediate bleeding control while you wait for emergency medical personnel to come and so save a life. Remember that after the shooter is down or taken into custody, the area becomes a crime scene, and nothing should be moved or handled besides aiding the injured. After receiving first care, casualties are typically transported to a central location for assembly, when a mass casualty strategy will be implemented (Hospital Employee Health; Atlanta, 2013). One can also assist by following one’s knowledge, expertise, and talents. Every healthcare facility must have an emergency action plan, and most hold training sessions to prepare employees for crises. In the event of a fire or bomb threat, these drills frequently just involve evacuation procedures. Yet, the current circumstance also necessitates training staff members on what to anticipate and how to respond in an active shooter scenario. It is also possible to arrange for staff members to receive functional shooter readiness training from one of the several agencies.