1st Edition

Forensic Nursing

By Kelly M. Pyrek Copyright 2006
    664 Pages 50 B/W Illustrations
    by CRC Press

    Written by an award-winning investigative journalist with more than twenty years of experience, Forensic Nursing takes an objective yet engaging look at a profession that according to the author, "is only for those with a strong stomach, a pure heart, and a quick mind." It presents the personal experiences and perspectives of forensic nurses that work in all areas of forensic and critical care/emergency practice.

    The book explores the many medico-legal issues that a forensic nurse will encounter during the course of a career. It details the pertinent medico-legal skill sets that every forensic nurse should acquire. It describes how to effectively yet sensitively approach situations involving sexual assault and interpersonal violence. The text also illustrates how to conduct a successful medico-legal death investigation.

    Also of particular interest is information on legal nurse consulting and nursing jurisprudence. The author describes how to prepare for trial and how to maintain professional conduct in the courtroom. She details how to collect DNA evidence and how to deal with the medico-legal issues that may arise from this evidence. Forensic Nursing also serves as a career road map for the beginning forensic nurse, as a motivational tool for the immediate-level nurse, and as a chronicle of past, present, and future challenges and victories for the advanced/seasoned practitioner.

    Table of

    Introduction to Forensic Nursing
    Who Needs a Forensic Nurse?
    Introduction to Forensic Nursing
    Clinical Forensic Medicine and "Living Forensics"
    The Development of the Forensic Antenna and Cultivation of the
    Index of Suspicion
    Investigation of Suspicious Injury/Death
    Investigating Undiagnosed Trauma
    A New Nursing Specialty Emerges

    Forensic Nursing as Part of the Nursing Process
    The Nursing Process
    The Forensic Nursing Scope of Practice
    The Scientific Method
    Forensic Nursing Science: A Logical Next Step?

    The Mandate for Forensic Nursing
    The Scope of the Problem: 2002 and 2004 Crime Reports
    The Response to Violence by the Joint Commission on the
    Accreditation of Healthcare Organization
    The Response to Violence by the Public Health Community
    Is There a Forensic Nurse in the House?

    Forensic Issues in the Clinical Setting
    The Emergency Department as the Forensic Portal of Healthcare
    Presentation of Specific Forensic Cases in the ED
    The Forensic Nursing Response
    Sudden, Suspicious, or Unexpected Death in the Healthcare
    Environment
    Healthcare Serial Killers
    Quality Improvement and Risk Management
    Violence in the Healthcare Environment

    Forensic Nurses' Medico-Legal Skill Sets: Observation, Documentation, Photography, and Evidence Collection
    The Importance of Medico-Legal Skill Sets
    Documentation in the Medical Record
    How Healthcare Providers Can Improve Their Documentation
    Skills
    Forensic Photography
    Evidence Collection

    Sexual Assault
    Sexual Violence is a Global Problem
    Sexual Assault Hits Closer to Home: The Domestic Problem
    Sexual Violence: Definitions, Prevalence, Characteristics
    Health-Related Consequences of Sexual Violence
    Victims' Utilization of Medical Services
    The Healthcare Response to Sexual Violence
    The Cost of Sexual Assault
    Quality-of-Care Issues
    The Medico-legal Examination Environment
    Genital Injuries in Sexual Assault Victims
    Drug-Facilitated Sexual Assault
    A National Protocol for Handling Sexual Assault Cases

    Interpersonal Violence
    The Scope of the Problem
    Domestic Violence in Urban vs. Rural Settings
    The Healthcare System's Response to Interpersonal Violence
    Healthcare Providers' Role in Interpersonal Violence Cases
    The Mental and Physical Impacts of IPV
    Domestic Violence Cases: The Emergency Department Portal
    The Scope of Partner Violence
    A National Consensus on Domestic Violence
    The Family Justice Center Concept

    Vulnerable Populations
    Violence Against Disabled Individuals
    Violence Against Men
    Violence Against Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender
    Individuals
    Violence Against Elders
    Violence Against Children

    Sexual Violence in the Military
    Department of Justice Recommendations
    Sexual Assault and Abuse in the Military
    Looking to the Future
    Sexual Violence in the U.S. Military: A Review of the Literature

    Sexual Violence on Campus

    Forensic Psychiatric Nursing and Corrections Nursing
    Balancing the Demands of Care and Custody in an "Invisible"
    Nursing Specialty
    The United Kingdom Experience
    Forensic Psychiatric Nursing: A Review of the Literature
    The Care and Feeding of Forensic Psychiatric Nurses
    One Nurse's Story
    The Human Psyche and the Forensic Psychiatric Nurse
    Victimology and Profiling: Is it in a Forensic Nurse's Purview?
    Psychiatric Nursing in the Correctional Setting
    Nurses and Correctional Officers: An Interdisciplinary Approach
    Corrections Nursing
    Special Issues: Women in Prison
    Special Issues: Sexual Coercion of Women in Prison
    Special Issues: Victims of Prison Rape
    A Career With Cross-over Appeal: Corrections Nursing and
    Medico-legal Death Investigation

    Medico-Legal Death Investigation
    Making the Transition From the Living to the Dead
    Applying a Nurse's Skill Sets to Death Investigation
    Understanding the Cause, Manner and Mechanism of Death
    Mechanism of Injuries and Wound Identification
    Post-Mortem Changes
    Crime Scene Investigation
    Death Investigation: The Process
    Nurses' Contributions to Death Investigation
    Medical Examiners and Coroners: Context for the Forensic
    Nurse Examiner
    Nurses as Coroners
    Nurses as Medical Examiners
    Nurses as Death Investigators and Law Enforcement Officers
    Forensic Nurses and DMORT Duty
    Integrating Clinical Practice and Death Investigation

    Legal Nurse Consulting and Nursing Jurisprudence
    The Legal Nurse Consultant
    The Tales of Two LNCs
    The Scope of Practice of LNCs
    The LNC and the Medical Record
    The LNC and Forensic Cases
    The Forensic Nurse Goes to Court
    Forensic Nurses and Expert Testimony
    Preparation for Trial and Professional Conduct in the Courtroom
    The Future of Legal Nurse Consulting and Nursing
    Jurisprudence

    DNA Evidence and Medico-Legal Issues
    DNA Evidence Collection
    DNA Evidence Policy Considerations
    John Doe Cases
    Harnessing the Power of DNA
    Addressing the DNA Backlog
    Making a Case for DNA
    The Justice for All Act of 2004
    Debbie's Smith's Story
    The Provisions of the Justice for All Act of 2004
    The Rest of the Story
    The Beleaguered Forensic Laboratory
    Forensic Laboratories Partner With Forensic Nurses
    Issues of Consent and DNA Evidence

    Professional Issues: Forensic Nursing Education and Training
    The Current State of Healthcare Education and Training
    Forensic Nurses Speak Out on Their Education and Training
    Needs
    Core Competencies and a Core Curriculum for Forensic Nursing
    Opportunities for Education and Training

    Professional Issues: Forensic Nurses as Entrepreneurs
    The SANE
    The Legal Nurse Consultant
    The Educator

    The Future of Forensic Nursing

    Biography

    Kelly M. Pyrek