Human trafficking policies of professional nursing organizations: Opportunity for innovative and influential policy voice

Author: Peck, Jessica & Doiron, Megan

Abstract: Human trafficking is a grievous human rights violation and rapidly emerging public health threat to which most nurses are ill-equipped to effectively respond. Curricula development within academic institutions and standard setting of organizational, education, accreditation, or licensing entities are a slow-moving and complicated process ill-equipped to adequately inform nursing practice in a timely way. Professional nursing organizations are ideally situated with knowledge, skills, and attributes to effectively contribute in a timely manner to policy creation and implementation directed toward emerging health threats. This analysis identifies only nine of 104 national nursing organizations that deliver vision, skills, position statements, practice guidelines, or other tools for members seeking evidence-based, credible, professional resources to initiate health policies and clinical protocols for human trafficking. Opportunity exists for nursing organizations to leverage the collective professional skill sets of their members to efficiently galvanize the nursing profession to effectively respond to persons encountered in clinical settings who are abused and exploited through trafficking.

Keywords: health policy, human trafficking, professional nursing organization