Nursing students' perceptions of identifying and managing sex trafficking cases: A focus group study

Aim To explore nursing students' perceptions of the identification and medical care of sex trafficking victims and how to improve the care provided based on the identified barriers. Background Despite the fact that more than 87% of sex trafficking victims establish contact with health professionals, their lack of awareness and training hinders their ability to assist victims properly. Methods A descriptive qualitative study was carried out using 11 focus groups of nursing students after a simulated case of sex trafficking victim. The analysis of results was conducted through content analysis. Results A total of 110 fourth-year nursing students participated in this study. After performing the data analysis, three main categories emerged: (i) making a health issue visible, (ii) identifying sex trafficking victims: resources based on evidence-based practice, and (iii) educational resources on sex trafficking in nursing degree. Conclusions Our results show that through clinical simulation, integrating content regarding the medical care of vulnerable groups can be useful for developing the skills necessary to provide effective care from a trauma-informed approach. Implications for nursing management Health institutions, senior charge nurses, and other health service managers should be aware of the current need for sex trafficking training, structural-level changes, and updated evidence-based guidelines and protocols with other service providers and law enforcement to provide high-quality care.