Should Healthcare Professionals Ask About Guns in the Home?

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    P-RN

    P-RN

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Most Americans have strong feelings about gun control, whether in favor of more or less. Legislation has even been passed restricting physicians from discussing guns with patients. What is your opinion about healthcare professionals discussing safekeeping of guns in the home?

Gun ownership and regulation is a very emotional issue in the U.S. and there has been strong reaction to whether physicians and other healthcare providers should be involved in doing more to curb gun related injuries and deaths. I would like to hear some of your opinions regarding physician involvement, but first let's look at some of the gun statistics in the U.S.

More than 108,000 people are shot per year in murders, assaults, suicides, suicide attempts, unintentional shootings or by police intervention.

* More than 32,000 of them die.

* The U.S. has the most gun homicides of any developed nation. 29.7 per 100,000.

* Everyday 297 people are shot.

* 89 people die.

* 31 of them are murdered.

* 55 are suicides.

* 2 are killed unintentionally.

* 1 is killed by police.

* 1 is unknown intent.

* One in five deaths are people ages 15-29.

Over 17,000 American children and teens are injured or killed each year due to gun violence.

* 2,677 of those children die.

* Nearly 48 youth are shot per day including 7 fatalities.

* 5 are murdered and 2 are suicides.

1 in 3 homes with children have guns.

* 42% of parents with guns keep at least one unlocked.

* 25% of parents with guns keep at least loaded.

* 3 in 4 children know where firearms are kept in the home.

(Statistics; bradycampaign.org).

It has been suggested that clinicians could play a major role in reducing children's access to guns by asking if there is a gun in the home, and if so, counseling on firearm storage practices. One study showed that patients who received counseling on firearm storage were more likely to make a change in storage practice than patients who did not receive counseling. (64% vs 33%). (J Am Board Fam.Pract).

Pediatrician's offices and hospitals routinely give out infant and car seats, would it also be appropriate to distribute trigger locks and lockboxes? Firearm related injuries are a public health issue, so should there be public health initiatives regarding firearms such as there have been for reducing tobacco, toy and motor vehicle related deaths?

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Specializes in Acute Care Pediatrics.

We ask about guns in the home as part of our admission process. Just like we ask if the child rides in a car seat and wears a helmet when riding a bike, etc. We also ask about stuff like... do you have a pool? Live near a lake? All these are safety issues that need to be addressed because without proper safety measures in place, harm can come to our patients.

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Specializes in Adult and Pediatric Vascular Access, Paramedic.

I think you have to draw the line somewhere. Everything in the home is a possible danger to young children; medications, pools, the bath tub, electrical outlets, cars, bikes, toys and the list could go on and on.

I think it is ok if you are looking out for the safety of a child, but you also have to remember people may not tell you they have firearms because you know their address if you are caring for them, and one should never assume everyone has good intentions. If I was seeking ER care and the nurse or another staff member asked if I had guns, I would wonder why they were asking, but I also don't have kids. I just think that would be going overboard!

Annie

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You are certainly free to ask - the patient is also free to tell you that it's none of your business, or as Annie indicated they may just lie.

IMHO, unless health care workers are thoroughly trained in firearm safety, they're better off leaving it to those that are.

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Specializes in Behavioral Health.

I ask all my outpatients if they have guns in their home... but I work psych, so it's usually in the context of asking if there's someone who could hold onto them for the patient until we get suicidal ideation under control.

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Specializes in Critical Care.
I think you have to draw the line somewhere. Everything in the home is a possible danger to young children; medications, pools, the bath tub, electrical outlets, cars, bikes, toys and the list could go on and on.

I think it is ok if you are looking out for the safety of a child, but you also have to remember people may not tell you they have firearms because you know their address if you are caring for them, and one should never assume everyone has good intentions. If I was seeking ER care and the nurse or another staff member asked if I had guns, I would wonder why they were asking, but I also don't have kids. I just think that would be going overboard!

Annie

It's true that all sorts of things in the home can pose a danger to a child, which is why risk screening usually focuses on statistically more significant risks which includes guns in the home. Asking if a child wears a helmet while riding a bike seems pretty obvious, yet only about 400 children die every year from bicycle accidents, about 3,000 kids die every year from guns in the home. Making sure parents are aware that firearms should be properly secured when children are around seems like a no-brainer.

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It is only appropriate to ask if it is pertinent to the patient's health (ie. if they are suicidal).

If you have strong feelings against the right for us to bear arms, you are free to move to a different country where there is gun control.

Everything we do in life involves some degree of risk.

That cigarette you choose to smoke?

That car you choose to drive?

That can of coke you choose to drink?

We already live in an over populated world. Having civil liberties at the expense of a relatively few amount of lives is worth it.

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Specializes in Critical Care.
It is only appropriate to ask if it is pertinent to the patient's health (ie. if they are suicidal).

If you have strong feelings against the right for us to bear arms, you are free to move to a different country where there is gun control.

Everything we do in life involves some degree of risk.

That cigarette you choose to smoke?

That car you choose to drive?

That can of coke you choose to drink?

We already live in an over populated world. Having civil liberties at the expense of a relatively few amount of lives is worth it.

Guns in the home and whether they are stored properly are very clearly pertinent to a child's health.

I don't think the ability to recklessly endager a child's life by improperly securing a firearm is a civil liberty, I think a child's right to be in a reasonably safe environment is a right.

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I work in Home Health and it's one of my first questions- after "pets?" before "where do you go if there is a flood?" I actually love asking the gun question. Reactions from, yes, ex LEO

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I also work in psych, and members of my team routinely ask about guns in the home.

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Specializes in critical care, ER,ICU, CVSURG, CCU.

2nd amendment !

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Specializes in Critical Care.
2nd amendment !

?

How do you feel the second amendment relates to encouraging the safe storage and handling of firearms in the home?

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