Reflection: Forensic Nursing

Growing up with family members in law enforcement (and as an avid reader of crime novels), I have always had an interest in forensics, but little knowledge of how it could be applied to the nursing profession. As a first year nursing student, our class had a presentation from another forensic nurse, which first opened my eyes to the profession and piqued my interest in learning more. Today’s guest speaker, Polly Campbell, built upon that interest, and provided some more details that left me excited to pursue forensic nursing and SAFE credentialing further.

One aspect of forensic nursing that impressed and appealed to me was the attention to detail that these nurses are responsible for. Ms. Campbell spoke extensively about DNA persistence, and how recent technological advancements have made it possible to collect evidence from victims for much longer after the incident than previously. She described victims as “living crime scenes,” and stressed the importance of documenting every last piece of evidence, whether it be photographs of physical markings or swabs of every site that the perpetrator made contact with. As a very detail-oriented person, I think I would excel at this aspect of the field. Another important takeaway was the idea that forensic nurses don’t exist simply to help law enforcement or prosecutors. Though their work may eventually provide some benefit to them, their primary role is to be a nurse–to care for the patient and focus on attaining the best outcomes possible for them. This reinforced to me that, as nurses, patient-centered care should be at our core, no matter what our specialty. 

I was surprised to learn that approximately 80% of sexual assault victims present with no injuries–and those that do often only have very minor signs of physical harm. Thus, the work of the forensic nurse is typically not one that is extremely focused on wound care, but instead involves a greater emphasis on the care of the patient’s emotional wounds. Ms. Campbell shared some disturbing statistics about the link between rape and suicide attempts, yet she also told us that forensic nurses help to change these numbers and help victims feel more supported during what can be an extremely difficult and traumatic process. Forensic nurses are also involved in much more than just sexual assault. They deal with cases of abuse and neglect, domestic violence, and, in some states, death investigation. The credentialing course offered in Maine is 40 hours long, free to UNE graduates with at least a year of experience, and, even if the nurse decides not to work in a forensic role, beneficial to all aspects of patient care (such as improving nurse-patient rapport and documentation skills). I don’t know if I’ll ever work as a forensic nurse, but, one way or another, I anticipate taking the SAFE (Sexual Assault Forensic Examiner) program. If nothing else, it can help me improve my approach to patient care. Given the lack of SAFE-trained healthcare providers in Maine (some hospitals in the state completely lack any SAFE credentialed staff), it will be essential that more nurses take advantage of the program. No matter what their speciality, nurses will likely treat victims of domestic violence, abuse, or sexual assault at some point in their career, and this training will help them to be leaders when caring for these patients. Even if reading crime novels is the extent of my “career” in forensics, a greater knowledge of the field will come in handy for all healthcare professionals.