Hospital security officer training, from first post to leading the program
Self-paced courses for healthcare security officers, sitters and security leaders: patrol and reporting, de-escalation, the law on authority and patient rights, behavioral health and the ED, active threat response and running a security program.
New to hospital security? Start with Technical Skills
For the officers who keep hospitals open and safe
Healthcare security is a different job from security anywhere else. Officers protect patients, staff and visitors while respecting patient rights. These courses teach that balance.
New to healthcare security
Technical Skills covers patrol, reporting, radio discipline, authority and patient rights, and critical incidents. Add interview prep to land the job.
Start Technical SkillsWorking officers
Build judgment with Strategic Skill Building, then take on advanced response and high-risk areas like the ED and behavioral health units.
See the coursesSecurity leaders
Leadership and Management covers program elements, staffing math, documentation, budgets and reporting up. Add the yearly annual update for your team.
See leadershipFrom first post to running the program
Each step builds on the one before it.
- STEP 1
Learn the post
Patrol, reporting, equipment, the law and critical incidents.
- STEP 2
Build judgment
Writing reports that hold up, communicating, de-escalating and making sound decisions.
- STEP 3
Handle the hardest calls
Threat assessment, active threat, infant security, elopement, the ED and behavioral health.
- STEP 4
Lead the program
Program elements, staffing, documentation surveyors expect, budgets and reporting.
Security officer courses
Take courses one at a time, or enroll in Security Officer Complete for the four officer courses, interview prep and a cumulative final exam.
Annual training for officers and all hospital staff
Short annual courses that keep officers current and give every employee the basics of workplace violence prevention.
Healthcare Security Officer Complete
The four officer courses and interview prep, with a cumulative final exam, in one enrollment at one price.
- Technical skills, strategic skills, advanced response and high-risk areas in one enrollment
- A certificate of completion when you pass the cumulative final
- Recommended add-ons, sold separately: Choices Essentials, Difficult Patient and Family Conversations, The 60-Second Encounter and Medical Terminology
- Self-paced and 100 percent online, with access that does not expire
- Healthcare Security Officer: Technical Skills8 hours
- Healthcare Security Officer: Strategic Skill Building8 hours
- Healthcare Security Officer: Advanced Response and Threat Management8 hours
- Healthcare Security Officer: High-Risk Areas and Special Patients5 hours
- Get Ready for Your Hospital Security Officer Interview1 hour
- Cumulative final exam1.5 hours
Hospital Security Officer Job-Ready Bundle
Healthcare Security Officer: Technical Skills plus Get Ready for Your Hospital Security Officer Interview, for job seekers who want the core skills and the interview skills together.
Training a whole security department?
Buy a department pack, send us your roster, and we enroll your team. Need to swap someone who has not started yet? Send the name to remove and the name to add.
- Seats do not expire and can be reassigned before a learner starts
- Lifetime access to the current edition
- Completion and score reports on request
Why security leaders choose ITC
Healthcare-specific
Patient rights, behavioral health, the ED and infant security are built in, not added on to general guard training.
Current and cited
Regulatory and accreditation references are checked and updated, with a yearly annual update course.
Judgment over force
Courses lead with prevention, de-escalation and reporting. Use of force is taught as knowledge of policy and law.
Leadership included
A full leadership course covers staffing math, documentation and budgets for security managers.
Explore more support services training
Before you enroll
Does this meet state security officer licensing?
No. The courses earn an ITC certificate of completion. State licensing, firearms, defensive tactics and your employer’s use-of-force training are separate requirements.
Will it teach physical restraint or defensive tactics?
No. Restraint and use of force are taught as knowledge of policy, law and patient rights. Hands-on skills come from your employer or an authorized provider.
How long does it take?
Officer courses run from about 5 to 8 hours each. Security Officer Complete takes about 32 hours. All courses are self-paced.
Who is the workplace violence course for?
All hospital staff. It is a short annual course that any department can assign.
How do department packs work?
Buy the pack, reply with your roster, and we enroll your team within one business day. Seats do not expire and can be reassigned before someone starts.
How long do I have access?
Access to the courses and programs on this page does not expire.
Ready to build a stronger security team?
Start one course, or enroll in Security Officer Complete for the full program.
