This collection of stories highlights what healthcare workers and emergency room physicians are doing to combat gun violence. The first place that a victim of gun violence goes to is an emergency room, so it makes sense that ER doctors should be some of the first people to discuss the incident and educate a patient about gun safety. This problem is multi-faceted, and requires intervention from several societal sectors, but making ER doctors a first line of defense and education is proving to be effective in several hospitals.
These stories inspire me because I worked in the emergency department and in an operating room at a hospital for two years and saw countless patients who were seriously injured by guns, or who died due to gun-related injuries. ER doctors have a powerful opportunity to educate their patients and their patients' families to promote gun safety going forward.