Assignment 4: Human Trafficking Case Study

Assignment 4: Human Trafficking Case Study & Response Questions

Human Trafficking Case Study & Response Questions:

Review the Human Trafficking resources provided on Moodle and read the case study. Please respond to each question below in paragraph form and in APA format. Use appropriate scholarly references to support your answer. Research and provide your OWN references. Don't forget to cite it within your responses. 

Leslie, an 18-year-old white female, presents to the ED. She is triaged by a nurse, whom she tells she has some burning “down there.” Leslie is wearing a form-fitting top and an extremely short skirt, and she is accompanied by an older female, “Auntie.” Leslie says she ran away from home because her mother is a drug user and her stepfather made sexual advances toward her. As the nurse asks more questions, Leslie begins seeking approval from Auntie before answering. The nurse is concerned there may be something more to Leslie's situation when Auntie refuses the nurse’s request to wait in the lobby of the ED. In giving report to the NP, the nurse shares some warning signs that need to be considered more closely. The NP escorts Leslie into the exam room with Auntie close behind. As the NP begins to collect Leslie’s health history, Auntie responds with answers, not Leslie. Before the physical exam, Auntie is asked to leave the room, but she declines and stays.

During the exam, Auntie’s phone rings, and she steps outside to answer. The NP notes that Leslie has bruising to her inner thighs, a mucopurulent vaginal discharge, and her cervix appears friable (bleeds easily without provocation). During the exam, Leslie asks if she has to “get another shot again.” The NP finishes the exam and steps out of the room. She begins to review Leslie’s record, which reveals that she has been positive for both chlamydia and gonorrhea several times in less than a year.  The next steps depend on what, if anything, Leslie discloses, and how receptive she is to help.

Questions from the case study:

1. What are some risk factors for human trafficking?

2. What information that was provided from the case study leads you to a suspicion of trafficking? Explain

3. What are red flag indicators/behaviors that the nurse from the case study have witnessed?

4. If Leslie was your patient, what are the next steps that you would take? Explain. What would you chart in the EMR and who would you contact?

5. Why is it essential that all members of the healthcare team are informed about how to recognize, treat, and collaborate with one another regarding victims of human trafficking?