[2] Sexual assault perpetrated against girls and women is a pervasive problem globally and has been associated with a range of adverse mental and physical health outcomes for survivors.
This includes post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, substance use, anxiety, suicidality, and negative reproductive health outcomes.
Survivors of SA bear the burden of both acute and long-lasting sequelae, including injuries, sexually transmitted diseases, and an increased risk of chronic physical and mental health problems.
The CFM describes the use of clinical practices to support judicial proceedings to protect a victim, usually after death has occurred.
Forensic nursing in the United States developed in response to concerns in the 1970s regarding the treatment of patients with crime-related injuries and the proper handling of evidence.
Although forensic nursing can be traced back thousands of years, for recent history, the role in the United States is traceable to the 1970s (Liu, 2024).
They receive advanced training in collecting and preserving evidence, treatment protocols, and legal proceedings and testimony.
[4] The specialized training that forensic nurses receive related to both the medical and legal needs of these patients drives demand for the specialty.
[7] Forensic nurses also assist in providing professional insight to potential causes of patient injuries in situations in which witnesses are unavailable.
In addition to documenting obvious injuries, forensic nurses specialize in looking for subtle signs of assault, such as petechiae, voice changes, and loss of bowel or bladder function.
Limited descriptions of roles Child abuse is a common type of trauma that forensic nurses work with.
A forensic nurse will know that a bruise located on the ears, neck and other soft tissues of the body should raise a red flag.
There are protocols in place that help a forensic nurse in taking the next step, when a patient admits to being sexually assaulted.
For example, the nurse may explain to the victim their legal rights in regard to reporting the assault, as well as the details of the physical exam for evidence.
Some of the evidence included should be a history of the incident, removal of clothing, head-to-toe assessment, urine collection, blood draw, oral swabs, genital exams, and a STD screening.