Self Defense for NURSES: Taking Control of your Safety in the Acute Care setting

Mathias Santos is the Area Training Manager for VPNE, where he oversees the training and development of healthcare staff, across 8 locations, in critical areas such as CPR/AED, workplace violence prevention (WPV), and customer service. He is a certified AVADE Level III WPV instructor and a certified trainer in the Welle Behavior Management System. To date, Mathias has trained over 500 healthcare professionals in strategies for maintaining safety and effectively responding to high-risk situations. Mathias is also a dedicated martial arts practitioner with over 30 years of experience. He owns and operates a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Mixed Martial Arts academy for the past 25 years, earning national and international recognition both as a competitor and as a coach. In addition to training athletes, Mathias has developed specialized curricula for women’s self-defense, military and law enforcement personnel, and anti-child abduction programs. My teaching has reached audiences across four continents and 14 countries. Safety is a core passion that drives Mat’s professional and personal pursuits. He is deeply committed to helping people build the skills they need to stay safe and confident. With decades of teaching experience, he excels at delivering clear, practical instruction tailored to the needs of diverse audiences. His goal in every class is to ensure participants leave with the knowledge and confidence to navigate crisis situations with clarity and control.