Overview
Introduction
A patient may arrive for an ordinary injury, sexually transmitted infection, pregnancy test, withdrawal symptom or vague pain while another person controls the encounter.
A patient may arrive for an ordinary injury, sexually transmitted infection, pregnancy test, withdrawal symptom or vague pain while another person controls the encounter. Human trafficking is not identified by appearance or by travel history. The RN looks for a pattern of exploitation, control, isolation and fear, then protects the patient's immediate safety without forcing a disclosure. The first clinical task is not to prove a criminal offence. It is to provide private, trauma-informed care, treat urgent illness or injury, and create a safe opportunity for the patient to decide what support they want. The response changes when the patient is a child or when there is an immediate risk of serious harm.