Forensic Nurses Week - Debut Year

ANNAPOLIS, Md., Nov. 4 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- While many people think the
solution to violence occurs in police stations and courtrooms, there is a
dedicated group of nurses who understand "Violence is a Health Care Problem".
During the week of November 9-13, 2009 the International Association of
Forensic Nurses will celebrate Forensic Nurses Week. Forensic Nurses are on
the front line making sure victims of crime receive compassionate health care,
while vital forensic evidence is collected and preserved.

More than 25 years ago a handful of nurses recognized that rape victims often
waited hours in emergency departments for care and evidence collection. Now
more than 500 communities have specially trained Sexual Assault Nurse
Examiners. "But SANEs are not the only kind of forensic nurse," says Bobbi Jo
O'Neal, Deputy County Coroner in Charleston S.C. She sees nurse death
investigators playing a critical role as the country faces a shortage of
forensic pathologists. Any place where nursing and victims of violence
intersect you will find a forensic nurse.

Meeting the increasing need for forensic nurses, more than 25 colleges have
created forensic nursing programs. "If you think a forensic nursing program
prepares you to work for CSI, you have the wrong idea," says Dr. Kathy Sekula,
coordinator of the Forensic Nursing program at Duquesne University. "The
forensic nurse must be able to provide nursing care to victims and
perpetrators of violence across the lifespan and develop innovative programs
to deal with the short and long term health consequences of interpersonal
violence."

This year the IAFN celebrates its 17th anniversary of providing forensic
education to nurses throughout the United States, Canada and 22 other
countries. At their Scientific Assembly last month attendees met to take on
the challenge of educating policy makers that primary prevention of violence
should be a part of health care reform. "Data shows that up to 37.5 % of
health care costs may be the result of violence," says Jennifer Pierce-Weeks,
president of IAFN. In a recent study by the U.S. Department of Justice, 60%
of the children surveyed were exposed to violence within the past year, either
directly or indirectly. Forensic nurses know that this places children at risk
for lifelong health care problems. Forensic nurses make a difference by
creating programs to both prevent violence and provide early recognition and
treatment of the effects of violence.

SOURCE International Association of Forensic Nurses

Carey Goryl of the International Association of Forensic Nurses,
+1-410-626-7805, careygoryl@iafn.org