Forensic Nursing

Professor Polly Campbell’s presentation on forensic nursing taught me an immense amount of knowledge regarding sexual assault, victims of violence, and what to look for during health assessments to help keep my future patients safe. Forensic nursing is specialized care for victims of trauma able to identify injury and having knowledge of the justice system. Topics that were covered in this presentation that I took away include commonalities among victims, roles and responsibilities of forensic nursing, risk factors for sexual assault, and DNA persistence. Commonalities among victims include trauma victims, need a forensic assessment, need forensic documentation and photographs, may have civil and/or criminal involvement, and interface with other community partners (CPS, APS, LEO, CAC). Roles and responsibilities of forensic nurses include avoiding further trauma, using compassionate care, engaging in a medical/forensic exam, promoting safety, being able to testify in court, and providing referrals for follow up care. Risk factors for sexual assault include young children, runaway children, people with lower incomes, children in foster care, people with mental health disorders, people who have problems with
alcohol/drug abuse, and people with absent support systems. Topics most relevant to my own
nursing practice include evidence collection, sexual assault kits, how to perform medical/forensic
exams, and population statistics. Population statistics such as the 80% higher risk of sexual
assault for the mentally disabled, and the fact that 25% of native American women will get
sexually assaulted in their lifetime are important things to know so that as a nurse you can look
for these types of risk factors during assessments. As a nurse it is also important to know that
collecting evidence from an unconscious body is legal and necessary for sexual assault victims,
but different states have different policies about this process. This presentation has changed the
way I approach patient care by teaching me the ways I could cause further trauma to the patient,
and ways to be compassionate and reduce the amount of harm during the health assessments that
are performed. As a nurse you have multiple responsibilities, and in forensic nursing it is
important to be compassionate/empathetic and cautious with every responsibility/task that you
go through regarding victims of violence/sexual assault.