Human Trafficking Prevention

Emergency nurses are often the first health care workers to have contact with human trafficking victims. ENA realizes the weight carried on an emergency nurse's shoulders and has compiled resources to help.

Human Trafficking Prevention

human trafficking

According to the U.S. Department of Human Services, human trafficking, also known as trafficking in persons, is an underreported crime that involves the use of force, fraud or coercion to obtain some type of labor or commercial sex act. It can occur in any type of community, to any person regardless of age, gender, nationality or race.

Recognition of human trafficking victims requires training and a response from communities, social service providers, health care providers and other first responders.

Since emergency nurses are often the first health care workers to have contact with human trafficking victims, more attention has been given to education on recognizing signs of trafficking and appropriate care in recent years.

Resources

ENA Resources
  • Position Statement: Human Trafficking Patient Awareness in the Emergency Setting: This joint position statement, developed in partnership with the International Association of Forensic Nurses, provides an overview of human trafficking, which is a global public health and human rights issue. Click here to view the position statement.
  • Journal of Emergency Nursing Study: Implementation of Human Trafficking Education and Treatment Algorithm in the Emergency Department: This article explains a project that implements a screening system and treatment algorithm in the emergency department to improve the identification and rescue of victims of human trafficking. Click here to view the article.
Additional Resources