Date of Award

2018

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

College

College of Nursing

First Advisor

Julie Barroso

Second Advisor

V. Jordan Greenbaum

Third Advisor

Cristina M. López

Abstract

Human trafficking is a growing crime impacting many victims from vulnerable populations. Due to the trauma and abuse endured, most victims are seen by a healthcare professional while still being trafficked. The majority of healthcare professionals and hospitals are not prepared to identify and care for trafficking victims, resulting in sub- optimal care and missed opportunities for intervention and assistance. The prepare section of the Common Ground Preparedness Framework was utilized to underpin this research; three separate studies were completed to gain empirical data related to preparedness. The first study examined screening instruments to identify commercially sexually exploited children and evaluated their feasibility for use in the emergency department. Findings included two instruments recommended for that setting. The second study synthesized empirical data collected from trafficking survivors, offering best practices for healthcare professionals and hospitals to use. Findings included behaviors that were modifiable by healthcare professionals; many found within trauma-informed, rights-based approaches to care. The third study used purposive sampling to identify South Carolina hospitals with known trafficking in their area. Emergency department directors/managers were interviewed to understand how prepared facilities were to identify and care for trafficked persons. Findings indicated that all hospitals were under- prepared; none had a response policy/protocol, one had provided training, and safety issues surrounding care of this population were largely unrecognized. Study findings give key stakeholders a better understanding of the steps that must be taken to ensure trafficking victims are recognized and provided with optimal care in hospital settings.

Rights

All rights reserved. Copyright is held by the author.

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