NIOSHTIC-2 Publications Search

"Locks for life": a gun lock distribution community health intervention program.

Wafer MS; Carruth A

J Emerg Nurs 2003 Aug; 29(4):349-351

https://doi.org/10.1067/men.2003.110

20029259

Thirty-four percent of children in the United States (about 22 million children) live in a home with a firearm, and approximately 43% of these homes have unlocked firearms. According to the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, in 2000, more than 800 unintentional deaths were related to firearms. The National Center for Injury Prevention and Control estimates that there are approximately nonfatal firearm injuries for every death associated with a firearm. At Southeastern Louisiana University School of Nursing, a group of students chose to develop an intervention to address these statistics as part of a community health nursing course. The faculty member is an ED nurse and EN CARE volunteer. Safety devices, such as trigger locks, in coordination with education, are often suggested as effective short-term deterrents to unintentional firearm injuries. Finn and Allen recount their experience initiating a program entitled "The Key to Firearm Safety," which encouraged use of trigger locks. In partnership with Wal-Mart, these 2 ED nurses coordinated efforts that resulted in the purchase of 850 trigger locks. Coyne-Beasley et al implemented a gun safety project in which provision of firearm safety information was coupled with distribution of free gunlocks. At 3-month follow-up, their participants reported an almost 50% increase in gun safety practices. The Southeastern Louisiana University School of Nursing community health clinical group planned the interventional program "Locks for Life" to address gun safety storage patterns in Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana.

Injuries; Injury-prevention; Safety-practices; Safety-measures; Health-protection; Public-health; Firearms; Intervention; Mortality data; Mortality rates; Community health; Nurses; Nursing; Safety education; Education

Melissa S. Wafer, RN, MSN, CEN, 3121 Morning Glory, Baton Rouge, LA 70808

20030801

Journal Article

mwafer@selu.edu

Cooperative Agreement

2003

Cooperative-Agreement-Number-U50-OH-007541

4

0099-1767

Journal of Emergency Nursing

TX; LA

University of Texas Health Center at Tyler