New York State Nurses Association

The intent of this position statement is to heighten awareness, encourage education among Registered Professional Nurses and all healthcare providers regarding human trafficking; and to enhance nursing’s ability to advocate for public safety.

The RN has the responsibility to:

• Advocate for patients, families and significant others who may be inadvertently involved with traffickers;
• Advocate for the rights of the patient to receive adequate healthcare free of coercion from the trafficker;
• Advocate for the recovery and release of the trafficking victim through the available resources;
• Active participation in state and national initiatives that research, disseminate and demonstrate standards and codes that impact governments who do little or nothing to prevent and prohibit trafficking;
• Know the available resources or where to find such resources in the event of reasonable suspicion of a victim of trafficking;
• Document the subjective and objective assessment of the potential victim according to policy to ensure adequate information in collection of evidence;
• Seek continued education and competency in areas of forensic nursing and certification in areas of violence towards women, such as Sexual Assault Nurses Examination.