As healthcare professionals, we often encounter patients during their most vulnerable moments. Sometimes, these moments are opportunities to offer support that extends far beyond immediate medical care. Today, we’re introducing a new feature in the NurseBrain app that aims to help nurses identify and support potential victims of human trafficking.
Understanding the Gravity
Human trafficking is a pervasive issue that affects hundreds of thousands of people in the United States alone. What’s particularly striking is how often trafficking survivors interact with healthcare systems:
- Studies have found that up to 88% of human trafficking survivors had contact with healthcare providers while being trafficked.
- 85% of surveyed trafficking survivors reported receiving treatment for an illness or injury directly related to their exploitation.
Yet, despite these frequent encounters, identification remains a challenge:
- Only 6% of healthcare professionals reported treating a human trafficking survivor during their career, according to a 2012 study.
- 57% of survivors reported they were never asked trafficking or abuse assessment questions during any healthcare visit.
These statistics highlight a crucial gap – one that we, as nurses, are uniquely positioned to address.
A Compassionate Approach
In partnership with the Nurses United Against Human Trafficking (NUAHT), we’ve developed a new feature within NurseBrain to support you in this important work. This update is designed not to add to your workload, but to seamlessly integrate into your existing workflow, providing gentle prompts and guidance when needed.
Here’s what’s new:
- AI-Assisted Screening: As you enter patient information into the SBAR summary, our AI will quietly analyze the data for potential indicators of human trafficking. If any are detected, you’ll see a notification in the new Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) section under Recommendations.
- Supportive Resources: We’ve added a comprehensive guide in the Tools section, offering trauma-informed approaches to patient interactions and clear steps for providing support and resources to potential trafficking survivors.
Empowering Through Knowledge
The reality is that many of us feel underprepared to address this issue:
- Less than half (42%) of healthcare providers surveyed have received formal training on human trafficking.
- 93% of healthcare providers believe they would benefit from training on human trafficking.
That’s why we’ve partnered with NUAHT. They offer in-depth training and certification programs for those who want to deepen their understanding and skills in this area.
A Collective Effort
This new feature isn’t about turning nurses into detectives or adding to your already full plate. It’s about providing gentle support and guidance, helping you trust your instincts, and giving you the tools to offer compassionate care to some of our most vulnerable patients.
Every patient interaction is an opportunity to provide care, support, and potentially life-changing assistance. By simply using NurseBrain as you always have, you’re now better equipped to offer that support when it’s most needed.
We encourage you to explore these new features and resources. Your compassionate care and attentiveness have always made a difference in patients’ lives. Now, you have additional tools to extend that care even further.
Thank you for your dedication to your patients and your willingness to address challenging healthcare issues. If you have any questions about this new feature or would like to share your thoughts, please reach out to our support team. Together, we can work towards creating safer, more supportive healthcare environments for all.