Amy Lee

Current Events Blog

Discussion Board 3.2 

Rationale

 The article I chose is titled "Human Trafficking Patient Awareness in the Emergency Setting". This article was found in the Journal of Emergency Nursing. The reason I chose this article is because I work in the Emergency Room (ER) and ER nurses are frontline care providers when potential victims of human trafficking possibly present to the ER for care. ER nurses have the responsibility to the community to keep abreast on current health care and policy issues and our role as nurses includes reaching out to identify patients who are vulnerable and need help.

 Summary

There is an increase concern in human trafficking. It is the fastest growing criminal activity in the world. According to the Emergency Nurses Association (2016) 20 million people are held prisoner and forced into human trafficking. The article states that victims who have survived human trafficking often present to the ER. Legislation was introduced to the 113 U.S Congress in 2014 that is titled Trafficking Awareness for Health Care Act. The purpose of the act is to increase the education and training of health care workers so that victims of human trafficking can be identified and evidence can be collected (Emergency Nurses Association, 2016).

 Personal Reaction

 My personal reaction to this article is that I agree with the passing of the Trafficking Awareness for Health Care Act. ER nurses need to be more vigilant in their awareness of this growing crisis so that they are aware of opportunities to reach out to potential victims. I was astonished to learn that 20 million people worldwide are victims to human trafficking. Also, approximately 17,500 of those victims were trafficked in the U.S (Emergency Nurses Association, 2016).

 Reference

Emergency Nurses Association. (March 2016). Human Trafficking Patient Awareness in the Emergency Setting. Journal of Emergency Nursing, 42(2), 150-151.