The university is the first in the state of Ohio to provide nursing students with Hospital Assault Response Prevention (HARP®) training to keep them safe in the workplace.
Baldwin Wallace University is the first in the state of Ohio to provide its Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing students with Hospital Assault Response Prevention (HARP®) training to keep them safe in the workplace. The training will equip students with the skills they need to de-escalate dangerous situations amid rising violence against healthcare workers.
According to an article on Baldwin Wallace University’s website, Dr. Christine Kuchenrither, who is an associate professor of nursing and the ABSN program coordinator, explained why faculty felt the need to add this new training in for the Fall 2025 semester, noting that students may question their choice to become a nurse if they face workplace violence during their required clinical rotation. She is quoted as saying, "BW's nursing faculty felt a strong need to provide our future nurses with the HARP® Training. The training is best practice information essential in empowering our students to identify high-risk situations and to foster a culture of safety for themselves, the patient and the healthcare community."
HARP training was developed by KLA Risk Consulting and is recommended by the Ohio Hospital Association. The training is led by Dr. Kelly Austin and it is described on the KLA Risk Consulting website as “an evidence-based workplace violence training program.” Among the highlights of the program are that it “Improves response time in reasonably managing all levels of aggressive cues and behavior within the critical seconds of an incident” and “Reduces risk and controls liability for your colleagues and hospital/health system.”
The training provided by Dr. Austin at Baldwin Wallace University included hands-on practice in de-escalating the types of physical assault nurses experience, watching videos, reading case studies, and learning how to maintain empathy and objectivity during instances of workplace violence.
Of the necessity for empathy and objectivity, Dr. Austin said, "These are key in utilizing critical thinking skills to achieve a successful outcome in whatever situation is unfolding in front of them."
She added to the students she trained, "The incidence of workplace violence most hospitals are experiencing is preventable and does not have to continue. When you increase the safety of healthcare workers, you increase the safety of patients. Thanks to BW, you are better prepared than most nursing students."
Violence against nurses and other healthcare workers is an escalating situation that has recently been highlighted by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
For more information about Baldwin Wallace University, visit the school’s website.