Implementing a Human Trafficking Educational Module and Protocol in the Emergency Department.

INTRODUCTION: The purpose of this quality improvement initiative was to educate emergency nurses and social workers about human trafficking and implement a human trafficking screening, management, and referral protocol adapted from the National Human Trafficking Resource Center. METHODS: A human trafficking educational module was developed and delivered at a suburban community hospital emergency department to 34 emergency nurses and 3 social workers through the hospital's e-learning platform, with learning outcomes evaluated via a pretest/posttest and program evaluation. The emergency department electronic health record was revised to include a human trafficking protocol. Patient assessment, management, and referral documentation were evaluated for protocol adherence. RESULTS: With established content validity, 85% of nurses and 100% of social workers completed the human trafficking educational program, with posttest scores being significantly higher than pretest scores (mean difference = 7.34, P ≤ .01) along with high (88%-91%) program evaluation scores. Although no human trafficking victims were identified during the 6-month data collection period, nurses and social workers adhered to the documentation parameters in the protocol 100% of the time. DISCUSSION: The care of human trafficking victims can be improved when emergency nurses and social workers can recognize red flags using a standard screening tool and protocol, thereby identifying and managing potential victims.

Strategies for Alcohol Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment Sustainability in the Emergency Department.

Alcohol misuse remains the fourth leading cause of preventable death in the United States, with nearly 90,000 deaths occurring annually as a consequence of alcohol misuse. Screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment (SBIRT) is an evidence-based strategy that includes initial screening using a valid tool, determining the need for intervention, a brief motivational interview, and referral to treatment leading to follow-up care when necessary. Although an abundance of evidence-based practices now exist as a guideline for quality patient care, an inconsistency persists between protocols supported by research and those actually integrated into daily clinical practice. Currently, there is little in the literature examining the sustainability of SBIRT programs in emergency departments. The authors examine challenges to SBIRT implementation in the emergency department and propose a number of strategies to ensure continued sustainability of this evidence-based practice.

The Essentials Competencies: A Framework for Substance Use-Related Curricula.

BACKGROUND: The use of substances including alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs increases the risk for injury, noncommunicable disease, and premature death and contributes to the global burden of disease. PROBLEM: The morbidity and mortality rates among patients with at-risk substance use point to the need for future nurses to have the requisite knowledge and competencies to provide care for this population. APPROACH: This article provides guidance for nurse educators in designing curricula that include content related to substance use, including screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment. OUTCOMES: Expected outcomes for baccalaureate, master's, and doctor of nursing practice programs are informed by the corresponding American Association of Colleges of Nursing Essentials. CONCLUSION: The overall goal of this guidance for nursing education is to advance the knowledge and competencies of the future nursing workforce to address the continuum of substance use and improve the health of the nation.

Implementing Interprofessional Alcohol Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment in the Emergency Department: An Evidence-Based Quality Improvement Initiative.

Alcohol misuse is one of the leading causes of illness, disease, injury, and death in the Unites States. For many patients, the emergency department (ED) visit may provide the only therapeutic opportunity to influence problematic drinking behavior. Screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment (SBIRT) is an evidence-based approach that may reduce alcohol-related morbidity and mortality and improve health outcomes and quality of life. Developing and implementing an alcohol SBIRT educational module for ED nurses and social workers is an efficient and effective mechanism to provide education about alcohol SBIRT, and revising the electronic health record to include an alcohol SBIRT protocol provides a standard mechanism for documentation by the interprofessional team of ED nurses and social workers. By integrating SBIRT knowledge as standard of practice in the ED setting, providers can positively impact the health and well-being of patients.

A collaborative framework for managing pregnancy loss in the emergency department.

The purpose of this article is to examine how nurses can improve comprehensive care for women who suffer an early pregnancy loss in the emergency department and highlight the integral role of obstetric and emergency department nurses within a new holistic framework of collaborative care. These nurses are integral in the proposed collaborative "fetal loss framework," which provides an innovative approach for holistic care for this population.