In this chapter we briefly summarize the scope and impact of firearm access in the United States, and discuss approaches to engage and counsel patients about firearm access, storage practices, and security, with particular attention given to suicide and violence risk.
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Promoting Safe Firearm Storage in an Urban Neighborhood: The Views of Parents Concerning the Role of Health Care Providers
Pediatric clinics are uniquely positioned to assess and advocate for the health and safety of Chicago’s children in relation to accidental firearm-related injury and death. Other strategies in addition to physician counseling will be required to promote safe firearm storage in this neighborhood with high rates of community violence.
Talking with Families: Interventions for Health Care Clinicians
Clinicians need to connect with families within the context of their beliefs around gun ownership. This will facilitate providing effective guidance that maximizes the safety of all children within their homes, whether the children are their own or visitors.
Proceedings from the 25th Annual Injury Free Coalition for Kids® Conference: Forging New Frontiers: Changing the Conversation on Gun Safety
Assessing Firearm Access and Providing Safe Gun Storage Education
Nurses may have a role in curbing gun violence through assessment of safe gun storage.
Firearms storage safety discussions in VA primary care: Staff perspectives
Primary care staff also outlined five tools and processes needed to meaningfully implement FSS discussions in primary care: training on firearms and firearms culture; examining personal attitudes toward firearms; developing supplemental materials to normalize and support FSS discussions; increasing knowledge of firearms laws and regulations; and providing scripts to facilitate conversations.
From Taboo to Accepted: Increasing Gun Safety Counseling in Pediatric Primary Care
Effective interventions, such as pediatric primary care health care providers (HCPs) doing firearm injury prevention (FIP) counseling while giving anticipatory guidance during a well child check, can have a strong impact on decreasing the number of firearm injuries. The evidence-based practice project used an existing evidence-based bundle approach to educate and train HCPs from primary care clinics within a large pediatric healthcare organization to consistently offer FIP counseling during as many well child checks (WCC) as possible.
Original Research: Nurses’ Knowledge and Comfort with Assessing Inpatients’ Firearm Access and Providing Education on Safe Gun Storage
This study sought to evaluate nurses’ knowledge and comfort with assessing inpatients’ access to firearms and providing education on firearm safety and storage. Facilitators and barriers to such assessment, as well as best methods for educating nurses and patients on firearm safety and storage, were also explored.