Making an Impact: Injury Prevention is a Priority

• Published in: Journal of emergency nursing Vol. 45; no. 3; pp. 237 - 238
• Main Author: Howard, Patricia Kunz
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01-05-2019; Elsevier Limited
• Subjects: Accident Prevention; Advocacy; Age; Caregivers; Death & dying; Emergency medical care; Emergency Nursing; Emergency services; Families & family life; Fatalities; Firearm accidents & safety; Firearms; Health Priorities; Humans; Injuries; Injury prevention; Lifting; Morbidity; Mortality; Nurse's Role; Nurses; Nursing; Ownership; Pediatrics; Public policy; Social services; United States; Violent death; Wounds and Injuries - prevention & control; United States; United States > US
• ISSN: 0099-1767; 1527-2966
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jen.2019.03.002

Helping parents and caregivers understand the need for safe storage, injury prevention education, and responsible gun ownership are essential to reduce pediatric morbidity and mortality associated with firearms. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there were 133,895 nonfatal firearm injuries in persons of all ages in 2017 in the United States.2 In data published by the CDC in 2018, 38,658 persons died from firearm-related injuries in the United States, and the age-adjusted death rate for firearm-related injuries for the total population increased significantly, accounting for 16.7% of all injury deaths. The ENA’s 2018–2019 Public Policy Agenda supports lifting restrictions on firearms-related research at CDC and the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).4 Inclusion of all states and US territories in the National Violent Death Reporting System is an advocacy priority as well.4 Emergency nurses understand the polarizing messages around firearm safety.