Careers & Training “It’s not so much evidence collection but
more photography, talking with that person and, if it’s a domestic violence situation, creating a safety plan,” said Caroline Fisher, RN, CEN, SANE-A, coordinator of the St. Francis Center of Hope. “If it’s a child or an elderly person, [we] make sure the authorities are involved and the documentation is right.” Hensley said gathering evidence is done
in a standardized manner to ensure the crime lab has the information necessary for an investigation. “It’s very valuable to have skilled
professionals like these forensic nurse examiners who are able to do the examination at the hospital and collect the evidence that may be used later on these cases,” he said. “It’s a critical component to the investigation.”
Trained to support | Six Indianapolis-area hospital systems have Centers of Hope that staff certified forensic nurse examiners — Franciscan St. Francis Health, IU Health Methodist Hospital, Wishard Health Services, Community Health Network, Riley Hospital for Children and St. Vincent Health. The programs share some resources, but are independent of each other. Center coordinators work together to
train nurses according to IAFN protocol. Training is open to nurses from other organizations and partners such as those in
Caroline Fisher, coordinator of the St. Francis Center of Hope, conducts a 12-week course for clinical training in sexual assault exams.
law enforcement. The 12-week course is offered twice
a year, and meets for five hours once a week. Classes cover clinical training in sexual assault exams and other medical skills. The crime lab, prosecutor’s office and police department conduct sessions. Representatives of Legacy House, social workers and other advocates help nurses understand how to provide emotional support for their patients. “Nurses have to spend time with an advocate, with a sex-crimes detective or
Shouldering the burden Caring for victims of sexual abuse and
violent crime can take a heavy toll on forensic nurse examiners, and on-call hours contribute to the specialty’s high attrition rate. Some hospitals are transitioning to full-time forensic nursing staff, but the risk of getting burned out remains high. The average tenure for a forensic nurse is about two years, and sometimes less. “At first, nurses don’t mind, but then it
gets hard, being [awakened] in the middle of the night,” said Megan Brown, clinical supervisor for the St. Vincent Center of Hope and president of the Indiana chapter of the International Association of Forensic Nurses. “The nurses who stick with it really have a passion for being part of it, both the nursing and the forensics.”
Megan Brown, clinical supervisor for the St. Vincent Center of Hope in Indianapolis, collects a DNA sample.
16 Indiana Nursing Quarterly •
indystar.com/nursing • Summer 2011
detective who handles that, and time in court,” Fisher said. “The prosecutor’s lecture is done at the courthouse so nurses can see how it feels to be in the witness and jury boxes.” In addition to class work and an exam,
participants are required to complete outside observations or training. Approved experiences include spending time in the crime lab, observing an autopsy, shadowing a forensic nursing program coordinator and attending professional emergency nursing or IAFN meetings or training. ●
Forensic nurses are reminded to watch for
signs of exhaustion, take time off and take care of themselves. They’re also encouraged to tap into the counseling resources at Legacy House. The organization supports not only victims and their families, but also medical staff and law enforcement members who work with victims of violent crime. “The downside is that we nurses are
really horrible about taking advantage of those opportunities,” said Caroline Fisher, coordinator of the St. Francis Center of Hope. “Nurses don’t take care of themselves very well. I’ve been doing this a long time, and I’ve really had to learn to take care of myself, because if you don’t, you can’t keep doing it.
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