Using Clinical Simulation to Educate Student Nurses about Human Trafficking


Joy Washburn | September 11 | 2:45 - 3:45 PM | Room 3010A

        Approximately 50% of victims of human trafficking in the USA are seen by health care personnel at least once. However, most healthcare personnel fail to recognize the signs of trafficking and do nothing to intervene. Sabella (2011) challenged nurse educators to incorporate awareness of human trafficking into teaching/learning activities in undergraduate and graduate nursing programs.
       Although many student nurses have some awareness of human trafficking, they are uncertain of the role of the nurse when the patient is may also be a victim of human trafficking. To remedy this deficit, clinical simulation could be used to raise awareness of human trafficking and the role of the nurse. Clinical simulation provides a means to supplement clinical experiences and guarantee exposure to clinical situations deemed as critical experiences. As no clinical simulation that integrated a victim of human trafficking as the patient was identified, the presenter developed and implemented such a simulation into the BSN curriculum.
       It is recommended that this simulation be adapted for use in other healthcare academic programs or health care institutions. Participation in this learning activity provides a means to help prepare healthcare personnel to interact with a patient who is also a victim of human trafficking.

Objectives:

1)       Appreciate the importance of integrating information about human trafficking into healthcare education programs;

Understand how a clinical simulation could be used as an educational modality to raise awareness of human trafficking

About the Presenter