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shattering
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shattering
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by
Valerie Nelson Contrary to popular belief, most forensic nurses don’t spend their days hovering over corpses and their nights sleuthing around crime scenes. Instead, they are more likely to spend their hours examining victims of sexual assault or training colleagues how to treat patients injured violently. "Nurses think of ‘Quincy,’ and death investigations," said Patty Seneski, ENP, RN, president of the International Association of Forensic Nurses (IAFN), referring to the 1980s television show that starred Jack Klugman as a medical examiner. "They don’t think about the living forensics, the fact that any time you are interacting with the legal system via the police department or court system, that by definition is forensics because it has to do with the law." An emerging field The term forensic nursing was officially coined in 1992 when about 70 nurses gathered in Minneapolis for what was billed as the first national convention for sexual assault nurses. It was thrilling to meet with others doing the same work and enlightening to learn about the issues they were grappling with, Seneski said. That led to the founding of the IAFN. Six years later, the New Jersey-based group has 1,500 members, who practice in diverse fields. They range from sexual assault nurse examiners (SANEs)—often an entry point into forensic nursing—to nurses who specialize in such areas as domestic violence, child and elder abuse, and emergency trauma. Forensic nurses may also serve as legal nurse consultants or attorneys, Seneski said. Forensic nurses’ responsibilities vary. For example, they may perform death investigations, work with criminals in prison, or counsel schoolchildren who fire guns, said Seneski, a SANE who works in emergency nursing and does consulting. Forensic nurses’ salaries are as diverse as their roles. Forensic nurses who work as independent consultants may be on call 24 hours a day and earn high hourly rates. Those employed full time in emergency rooms or the medical examiners’ office may work regular shifts and earn lower salaries. A launch pad Many nurses, like Sandra Goldstein, MS, RN, have used forensics as a springboard into their own businesses. Goldstein’s Santa Cruz-based company, Forensic Nursing Services, helps set up sexual assault response teams and offers educational programs. "It’s very exciting to be a pioneer in a burgeoning field," said Goldstein, who became a SANE in the late 1980s and started her business in 1991. She tells nurses the easiest way to break into forensic nursing is to train as a SANE. (Courses are offered through hospitals or by nurse entrepreneurs.) After training, most SANE nurses work their regular shifts, often in an emergency room, and additional on-call hours as a SANE. For nurses serious about forensic nursing, this is the way to network with law enforcement officials, district attorneys, victims advocates, and the sheriff’s coroner, who investigates the crimes, Goldstein said. Gathering evidence The day may be coming when every hospital needs a forensic nurse on staff, said Faye Battiste-Otto, RN, whose 15-year-old Palm Springs business, American Forensic Nurses, works with law enforcement agencies in four counties. "Hospitals don’t like to hear this, but it is becoming necessary because of the increase in crime." Forensic nurses are especially needed in the emergency room to gather and package evidence, Battiste-Otto said. She recognized this need when she worked in the ER treating suspects and patients before she went into business. "Nurses are taught to cleanse a wound, but if it’s a suspect in a criminal case, we are washing away valuable evidence," she said. "Hospitals need to learn that throwing away valuable evidence is costing taxpayers a lot of money." Hospitals are increasingly contacting her to set up sexual assault response teams and teach forensic nursing skills, she said. Here to stay Forensic nursing is gaining visibility, practitioners say. Although forensic nurses currently don’t need an advanced degree or certificate to work in the field, the American Nurses Association recognized it as a subspecialty in 1995, and the IAFN is working to establish a core curriculum for it. National certification would follow, Seneski said. "Forensic nursing is a new and upcoming specialty, and it’s here to stay," Battiste-Otto said. |
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>Fitchburg State College in Massachusetts offers a master’s in forensic nursing through a two-year part-time program. Write 160 Pearl St., Fitchburg, MA 01420-2697, call (508) 665-3181, or e-mail dgce@fsc.edu. >Beth-El College of Nursing and Health Sciences in Colorado Springs offers post-baccalaureate or master’s certificates or a master’s in nursing in family health or adult health nursing with a clinical emphasis in forensics. Contact Cindy Roach, 2790 N. Academy Blvd., Suite 200, Colorado Springs, CO 80917-5338; (719) 365-5664. > The University of Texas at Austin School of Nursing offers continuing education courses in forensic nursing. Contact Aileen Kishi, 1700 Red River, Austin, TX 78701; (512) 471-9910; e-mail ce@mail.nur.utexas.edu. > Mount Royal College in Calgary, Canada, offers courses through the Internet, http://www.mtroyal.ab.ca. The two now offered are the first in a planned program of six forensic courses that will lead to a certificate. E-mail Sheila Runquist, runquist@mtroyal.ab.ca or call (403) 240-6755. > Forensic Nursing Services offers educational programs. Write P.O. Box 2512, Santa Cruz, CA 95063-2512; call (408) 465-9826; or e-mail SleuthRN@aol.com. > American Forensic Nurses offers distance education via the Web, http://www.amrn.com. |
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