Human trafficking is a public health problem both internationally and in Ohio. Nurses and other healthcare providers are often the only professionals able to interact with trafficking victims. Ohio’s school nurses have a unique opportunity to prevent trafficking and identify school aged youth who may be trafficked or in other abusive situations. In response to Governor John R. Kasich’s Human Trafficking Recommendation #22, the Ohio Department of Health developed a School Nurse Human Trafficking Protocol to assist with recognizing specific signs and indicators to look for, providing basic screening questions and making appropriate community referrals.

Ohio School Nurses' Human Trafficking Protocol This PDF is Ohio School Nurses' Human Trafficking Protocol Two pages

Ohio School Nurses Human Trafficking Training

On June 25, 2013, the Ohio Department of Health’s School Nursing and Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence Prevention programs provided a day-long training course titled “Human Trafficking: An Update for Nurses Working in Ohio Schools”. The program provided guidance and resources to aid school nurses in identifying potential human trafficking indicators and prevention methods as well as an introduction to Ohio’s new Human Trafficking Observing and Reporting Protocol. Nurses in attendance were credited with continuing nursing education (CNE) contact hours.  

An on-line independent study for nurses based on the human trafficking training is now available through OhioTRAIN as well. This program offers 4.25 CNE contact hours and is free of charge. The class is organized into 4 sections and printed materials for the class are available to print. Users will be asked to create a free account in OhioTRAIN to register for the class.

To enroll in the training, log in to your OhioTRAIN account. Enter the course number, 1047376, in the search field located in the upper right-hand corner of the page. You will be directed to the course detail page. Click on the "Registration" tab underneath the course title and select your desired credit hour type. Once you have made a selection, the course will be added to your learning program. From that page, you can download the course attachments and select the first section of the course to begin.

Handouts from ODH Human Trafficking Training for School Nurses

• Glossary of Definitions

• Journal Articles, Books and Resources

• Ohio Human Trafficking Coalitions Listing

• 10 things you need to know to help STOP trafficking

• Ohio Attorney General David Yost Human Trafficking Palm Card

• Futures without Violence – Hanging out or Hooking up palm card for teens

• Ohio Domestic Violence Network - Teen Relationship Violence: Resource Guide for Increasing Safety

Additional Resources

• Ohio Department of Education Teacher, Parent and Youth Human Trafficking Training.

• Ohio Department of Jobs and Family Services’ information on mandated reporting for child abuse

• Reporting child abuse or neglect Ohio Revised Code 2151.421

Additional Online Courses

• Ohio Forensic Nursing Network - Human Trafficking training and resources 

• National Human Trafficking Resource Center - Online Trainings

• NETCE - Course # 96311 • Human Trafficking and Exploitation (5 ANCC)

  • Additional courses available: 96422: Cyberbullying and Harassment (5 ANCC) and 97021: Sexual Assault: Evaluation and Care (3 ANNCC)

• Quality and Safety Education for Nurses (QSEN) Institute - Sex Trafficking and the Nursing Role: An Online Educational Module for Nurses

• U.S. Department of Justice - Faces of Human Trafficking Training Series and Discussion Guide