[Written by Grace I. Coons, MSN, RN, FNP-BC, IPVNE, NYSAFE, NM-CSp, HCMc, FN-CSp, AFN-C, SANE-A, SANE-P, with St. Peter’s Crime Victim Services.]
Those impacted by violence often seek health care following the event. These individuals present with a unique set of needs, and hospital staff often rely on the specialty skills of a Forensic Examiner to compliment the standard health care services rendered for this vulnerable population.
Forensic Examiners are health care providers who have undergone specialty education, skills training and optional certification. With their specialty knowledge, the examiners are experts who use a trauma-informed approach in their encounters to prioritize safety and autonomy, while providing detailed medical documentation which can be used as evidence.
Patients have the option for physical evidence collection, when appropriate, including forensic photography, DNA preservation and toxicology samples. Oftentimes, physical evidence is helpful to support and substantiate the verbal statements made and are commonly helpful for the criminal justice process, including investigation and trial.
Forensic exam patients are offered the opportunity to release their evidence, or have it held by the program while they take time to make decisions. It is common to have a mix of emotions after an incident, including ambivalence about reporting to law enforcement. Patients can take their time to process and decide if they would like to involve law enforcement and/or have their evidence released.
At St. Peter’s Health Partners, the Forensic Examiner team is SANE-trained (sexual assault nurse examiner) and provides services to a robust population not exclusive to sexual assault. The comprehensive response additionally includes exams for: domestic violence/intimate partner violence, physical assault, elder abuse, caregiver abuse, neglect, mistreatment, human trafficking, strangulation, and workplace violence. While all hospitals are required to provide care to sexual assault victims, not all will have a Forensic Examiner or an official SANE available to provide forensic exams outside of the sexual assault exam.
St. Peter’s Crime Victim Services is a respected leader in the field, hosts SANE training classes and serves as a model program assisting developing programs close the gap to forensic medical care throughout New York state, the nation and internationally.
In the aftermath of violence, programs like St. Peter’s Crime Victim Services are always available for support and resources. Forensic medical care is available 24/7 at Samaritan Hospital, St. Peter’s Hospital, and Samaritan Hospital – Albany Memorial Campus. Services specifically for sexual assault exams can be provided free of cost to patients. If you or someone you love needs immediate support, call our 24-hour confidential hotline at 518-271-3257.
November 4-10, 2024 is Forensic Nurses Week, a time to recognize the work Forensic Examiners do every day assisting victims of violence receive trauma-informed care and help them on the road to healing and empowerment. Please join us by wearing lilac on November 8 to honor and celebrate Forensic Examiners, their expertise, and their critical role at the intersection of health care and criminal justice.
For more information about St. Peter’s Crime Victim Services, please call 518-271-3410 or visit sphp.com/crimevictimservices.
