criminology writing assignment

HUMAN TRAFFICKING Author(s): Renee S. Unterman and Stephanie J. Prior Source: The American Journal of Nursing, Vol. 111, No. 5 (May 2011), p. 12 Published by: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Stable URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/23046639 Accessed: 22-10-2019 03:38 UTC

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HUMAN TRAFFICKING

"The Role of the Nurse in Com

bating Human Trafficking" (Feb ruary) by Donna Sabella was excellent—it defines the prob lem and educates professionals in the detection of trafficking victims.

As a former RN and social worker, as well as the chairman of the Georgia state senate's Health and Human Services

Committee, I wrote the law (Senate Bill 69) in 2009 requir ing mandatory reporting of sex ual abuse practices witnessed by professionals, such as nurses, teachers, counselors, physicians, or anyone coming in contact with a child.

During my years as an ED nurse, I remember coming in

AJN welcomes letters to the

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contact with potential victims and not knowing what to do— a situation that's described in

Dr. Sabella's article. Thank you for educating professional nurses on a topic that, unfortunately, grows in epidemic proportions. We must continue to educate the

medical community and take necessary actions to protect our youth from such horrific, life changing experiences.

Nurses have the opportu nity to help those who've been forced into human trafficking and sexual abuse. To help erad icate this problem, I ask that all nurses continue to be aware

of possible situations that in volve minors and the illegal sex trade. I'm encouraged by the work AJN is doing to shed light on this issue, and I pledge to continue to promote legislation that will finally put an end to this heartbreaking crisis that's devastating the youth of our nation.

Renee S. Unterman

State Senate District 45

Buford, GA

Although I've spent the past three years researching domes tic violence as I study to become an RN, I was astonished by the prevalence of several forms of co ercion described in Dr. Sabella's

article, particularly sex traffick ing in the United States.

Assessing whether or not a patient could potentially be a victim of this crime is one of the

furthest thoughts from my mind. Dr. Sabella's article opened my eyes to the horrifying reality of this practice.

In one way or another, all abuse is concealed. As health

care professionals, we must be

vigilant in looking for it. If we fail to look below the surface

when caring for patients, then we risk simply patching up a victim of abuse and allowing her or him to be subjected to further torture.

Stephanie J. Prior

Mansfield, MA

SECOND-CAREER NURSES

We are second-career baby boomers who will reenter the

workforce when we graduate from an accelerated nursing pro gram this month. We have much to be proud of. Yet making a career change later in life poses unique challenges. Structuring a work environment adapted for older nurses is one positive way to address these challenges, as noted in "An Aging Nursing Workforce Necessitates Change" (.Professional Development, De cember 2010). The authors are very persuasive in validating the importance of retaining seasoned nurses by developing best prac tices. One fundamental strategy mentioned in the article was

the possibility of developing an age-diverse work culture. This type of inclusiveness will help to improve the workplace for all nurses, not only older nurses.

Second-career nurses, like older nurses, can make a unique contribution to the profession. Erin Wyatt, writing in the On cology Nursing Society's news magazine, noted that many second-career nurses bring useful skills to their new profession.1 She describes one woman who

became an oncology nurse later in life and utilized skills from

her previous career as a music therapist to help cancer patients cope with nausea.

12 y4JN TMay 201 1 ▼Vol. Ill, No. 5 ajnonline.com

HUMAN TRAFFICKING

Renee S. Unterman

Stephanie J. Prior

SECOND-CAREER NURSES

We are second-career baby boomers who will reenter the

workforce when we graduate from an accelerated nursing pro gram this month. We have much to be proud of. Yet making a career change later in life poses unique challenges. Structuring a work environment adapted for older nurses is one positive way to address these challenges, as noted in "An Aging Nursing Workforce Necessitates Change" (.Professional Development, De cember 2010). The authors are very persuasive in validating the importance of retaining seasoned nurses by developing best prac tices. One fundamental strategy mentioned in the article was

the possibility of developing an age-diverse work culture. This type of inclusiveness will help to improve the workplace for all nurses, not only older nurses.

Second-career nurses, like older nurses, can make a unique contribution to the profession. Erin Wyatt, writing in the On cology Nursing Society's news magazine, noted that many second-career nurses bring useful skills to their new profession.1 She describes one woman who

became an oncology nurse later in life and utilized skills from

her previous career as a music therapist to help cancer patients cope with nausea.

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