Article #4: From Childbirth to Child Abuse, Swaddles to Sexual Assault
As I previously mentioned, I truly enjoyed working as a labor and delivery nurse. It was a true joy to come to work everyday. Through the adrenaline rushes, slow moments, sweet moments, and stories that are engraved in my memory for a lifetime, it was a great job.
What I didn’t share previously is that while I had been working as a labor and delivery nurse, I had gradually, and eventually simultaneously been working in another field of nursing: Forensic nursing. Now, before you ask…No, I didn’t work with CSI or dead people! I’ll explain more here in a bit.
You see, I absolutely loved working as a labor and delivery nurse, but I also had another passion. I had a passion for fighting human trafficking and helping domestic violence survivors. This flame was lit when I was in my sophomore year of college, when I first was made aware of the horrible crime of human trafficking that was happening here in Houston.
Human trafficking isn’t always what you think of like the plot from the Movie Taken. Most people assume that girls are snatched from their beds at night and sold off into slavery in another country. The reality is that the chances of that happening is actually super low, but human trafficking is happening all around us. Human trafficking involves moving or forcing people to do something to benefit from their work or service, typically in the form of forced labor or sexual exploitation. With that definition, you can see how it can be happening all around us through prostitution/pimp rings, unlawful or deceptive labor, and so much more.
When I was made aware of human trafficking through a seminar, I was in pure shock. I had no clue. You can imagine how much more shock I was in when I realized that one of the infamous human trafficking areas was only about two miles from my college dorms. My world was flipped upside down in an instant. My heart was set ablaze. I couldn’t just ball the knowledge into my pocket and throw my proverbial jeans into the wash. I needed to take action.
By this point of awareness, I knew I wanted to be a nurse, but I didn’t know that there was nursing specific to human trafficking, so I assumed and was mentally prepared for having to invent this profession myself–that’s just how my brain operates. Fortunately, that wasn’t necessary because one day, I met a forensic nurse. I actually met several forensic nurses after that initial encounter, one of whom actually became my future boss. I’ll get to that soon.
In the encounters with the forensic nurses, I was able to discover more of what the profession entailed, and I knew this was for me. God created a divine connection with one of my professors, who was opening her own forensic nursing nonprofit, and once I graduated, I began training with her company to become a forensic nurse.
I began working as a forensic nurse on my off days from working as a labor and delivery nurse. It was a busy season, but I was working two great jobs, and it was everything I dreamt of. Two and half years into working as a labor and delivery nurse, I was presented with the offer to work in forensic nursing full-time, which means I would be leaving labor and delivery.
Although a hard thing to release my grip from, my passion was yanking on my heartstrings. I felt the heaviness of the survivors I was to encounter. I heard the cries of the children being abused. I knew I had to do something.
In September 2020, after working through some of the pandemic, I resigned from my role as a labor and delivery nurse to answer the call of forensic nursing. My patient population would look different, as I was now working with victims of human trafficking, sexual assault, child abuse, elder abuse, and domestic violence. I was ready to leave my fingerprint in the world as a forensic nurse.
To be continued…
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Stephanie Bright is the founder of Christian Girls POP, an online international Women’s ministry. While attending college, Stephanie began leading Bible studies from her dorm room, which led to the birth of Christian Girls POP (CGPOP). Through CGPOP, Stephanie can reach women across the world of all ages
to proclaim the Word of God in a relevant way. As a Bible teacher, she uses her life experiences to help others realize their potential by highlighting scripture in her unique way. Stephanie aspires to bring CGPOP to college campuses worldwide to guide young women into a meaningful relationship with Christ. Stephanie also enjoys leading worship, spending time with her younger siblings, and doing puzzles in her free time.