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Clinical Practice
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Active Shooter at Work: How to Prepare

Prepares nurses to recognize, report, and respond to a potential or actual active shooter event while accounting for patients who cannot independently evacuate.

Nurses, an emergency manager, a respiratory therapist, and a security professional review a hospital floor plan during a structured active shooter preparedness exercise.
Contact hours
3
Format
Self-paced, online
Last reviewed
Sep 19, 2026

$15.00or included with All-Access

$5 per contact hour · 3 contact hours

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  • No post-test required · unlimited retakes · evaluation and attestation always required

Course Purpose

Prepares nurses to recognize, report, and respond to a potential or actual active shooter event while accounting for patients who cannot independently evacuate.

Continuing Education Credit Designation

This educational activity is credited for 3 contact hours at completion of the activity.

Overview

After completing this course, nurses will be able to recognize concerning behavior, use workplace reporting pathways, and participate in prevention, planning, and trauma-informed preparedness activities. Learners will also be able to select an evacuation, secure-in-place, or last-resort defensive response; support patients with mobility or life-sustaining needs; and provide lifesaving care when the scene is safe.

Objectives

Upon completion of this independent study, the learner will be able to:

  1. Define an active shooter incident and distinguish it from other firearm-related or workplace violence events.
  2. Differentiate concerning behavior from demographic stereotypes and report observable facts through appropriate workplace channels.
  3. Apply healthcare-specific emergency planning principles to patients with mobility, cognitive, isolation, procedural, or life-sustaining treatment needs.
  4. Select an evacuation, secure-in-place, or last-resort defensive action based on the shooter’s location, available exits, and immediate hazards.
  5. Demonstrate appropriate actions during drills, law enforcement response, casualty care, recovery, and post-event reporting.
  6. Evaluate unit-level readiness and identify opportunities to improve communication, access control, evacuation, sheltering, and continuity plans.

Policy Statement

This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the policies of FastCEForLess.com. This course should be used for informational purposes only and should not be used to diagnose, treat, prescribe, recommend, or initiate therapies or treatments in any setting. This course is copyrighted by Fast CE For Less, Inc. and may not be replicated, copied, or dispersed without written consent.

Disclosures

Fast CE For Less, Inc. and its authors have no disclosures. There is no commercial support.

Who this course is for:

Advanced Practice Registered Nurses, registered nurses, licensed practical or vocational nurses, and other healthcare providers in any setting who want continuing education on Active Shooter at Work: How to Prepare.

Course outline

12 sections · finish in any order across devices

  1. 1

    Introduction

  2. 2

    Active Shooters in Healthcare Settings

  3. 3

    Intentions for Shooting

  4. 4

    Preparation for an Active Shooting

  5. 5

    Active Shooter Behaviors

  6. 6

    Signs of Aggression and Potential Workplace Violence

  7. 7

    Preparation Through Active Training Exercises

  8. 8

    What to Do If a Shooting Occurs in a Healthcare Setting

  9. 9

    Know the Codes at Your Workplace

  10. 10

    Get Involved in Your Organization

  11. 11

    Nursing Considerations

  12. 12

    Conclusion

References

The full reference list is included inside the course, after the Conclusion.

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