Addressing Human Trafficking in Health Care Settings: Key Strategies for Awareness and Prevention
Scannell M, Brandes RA, Granville S, Brady E. Nursing2026. 2026;56(6):16–23.
I am pleased to share our recently published article in Nursing2026, which examines the critical role of simulation-based and interprofessional education in preparing health care professionals to identify and respond to human trafficking (HT). HT is a severe human rights violation and a growing global public health crisis, yet it remains significantly underreported and underrecognized in clinical settings.
The Clinical Gap
Approximately 88% of trafficking victims seek health care while being trafficked, with 63% presenting specifically to the emergency department. Despite this, health care professionals frequently fail to detect HT due to limited training and the complexity of victim presentations. Victims rarely self-identify; they typically present for acute medical or psychological concerns, making specialized clinical education essential. A national survey of 6,603 health care professionals found that 57.8% had never received HT training, and 93% felt they would benefit from it.
Simulation as a Solution
Medical simulation-based education provides a high-fidelity, low-risk environment where clinicians can master critical skills, including clinical identification, trauma-informed communication, and interdisciplinary healthcare coordination. Extensive evidence supports the effectiveness of clinical simulation across multiple medical specialties.
Key Benefits of Clinical Simulation in Medical Education
Boosts Clinician Confidence: Among pediatric residents, targeted simulation training increased the percentage of clinicians reporting confidence in recognizing and referring suspected human trafficking (HT) cases from 25% to 80%.
Enhances Interprofessional Collaboration: Team-based medical simulation significantly improves emergency response coordination. By training together, each healthcare discipline contributes a unique clinical perspective that others might otherwise overlook.
Improves Patient Outcomes: Practicing in a controlled healthcare simulation environment ensures that multidisciplinary teams are fully prepared for complex, real-world patient encounters.
The article also highlights the value of grounding HT simulation programs in established adult learning frameworks, including Knowles' andragogy, Kolb's Experiential Learning Theory, and Ericsson's Deliberate Practice Framework, to strengthen both curriculum design and evaluation.
Implementing Trauma-Informed and Survivor-Centered Care in Healthcare Education
Central to effective human trafficking training is the trauma-informed care (TIC) framework. This clinical approach guides medical professionals in delivering compassionate, non-retraumatizing patient care that explicitly acknowledges the physiological and psychological effects of acute, chronic, and complex trauma.
The Value of Survivor-Centered Medical Training
Integrating authentic survivor perspectives into healthcare curriculum development significantly enhances the realism, clinical sensitivity, and real-world relevance of educational programming. Incorporating these insights ensures that medical training remains:
Survivor-Centered: Prioritizes patient agency, safety, and collaboration in clinical environments.
Evidence-Based & Realistic: Grounds clinical simulation scenarios and case studies in authentic patient experiences.
Clinically Meaningful: Equips healthcare providers with actionable trauma-informed communication strategies to improve overall patient outcomes.
This publication reinforces that focused awareness, knowledge, and training are essential for effective intervention. We hope it serves as a resource for health care educators and institutions working to build or strengthen HT education programs across disciplines.
For full access to the article click here
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