Emergency nurses initiate program to prevent gun injuries

The Emergency Nurses Association (ENA) is giving nurses tools and information they can use to help patients at risk for firearm injuries or death. The Firearms Injury Prevention Education program includes educational resources focused on identifying patients who might be in danger and giving nurses ways to assess, educate and follow up with those individuals. The program is not aiming to promote universal screening but to give nurses tools to reduce the risk of firearm injury among people who seek emergency care at vulnerable moments in their lives. According to an ENA study, most emergency nurses are not asking patients about their access to firearms. (HealthLeaders Media article, 4/16/21)