Preventing Injury, Saving Lives

Statistics show that more Americans die in the first four decades of life from injuries and violence than from any other cause. Those who survive are often left with disabling physical, emotional and financial difficulties. This staggering loss of life is often attributed to human error which could most often be prevented through greater access to the right information. While many prevention initiatives have been implemented throughout the United States, ongoing work is needed to fully integrate them effectively into clinical and community settings.

ENA and several key partners collaborated with ITN Productions in development of the “Preventing Injury, Saving Lives” video series to take a comprehensive look at how injury prevention programs and outreach, as well as thorough training and skill development, ultimately protect the lives of community members and emergency department patients. ENA shines a light on the ways its members are carrying the association’s injury prevention mission to the local level. While ENA sets the tone about the importance of injury prevention through the multitude of resources it offers, it is front-line emergency nurses who witness the tragic results of injury and are motivated to take the initiative in their EDs and in their communities to educate the public about avoiding preventable injuries.

The video series also highlights injury prevention initiatives centered on child and adolescent safety, social determinants of health and improved ED design, while showing how education and advanced certifications put nurses in a prime position to develop their life-saving skills in the ED and fully recognize the impact they can have in promoting health and wellness throughout their career. This series aims to showcase effective prevention methods, explore how best practices inform health advocacy, and demonstrate how education and technology help promote a culture of safety with goals of fewer preventable injury patients in the ED and more lives saved among the traumatically injured.