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The National League for Nursing/Johnson & Johnson Faculty Leadership Mentoring Program Announces 2009/2010 Winners
The National League for Nursing (NLN) Foundation for Nursing Education recently announced faculty members for the NLN/
Johnson & Johnson Faculty Leadership and Mentoring Program at the NLN Education Summit held this month in Philadelphia. The program, which began in 2007, pairs five early and mid-career faculty members with five NLN Academy of Nursing Education fellows who are recognized leaders in nursing education. The competitive and selective application process matches protégés and mentors based on their interests and experience.
Over a twelve-month period, protégés and mentors will work together on individual leadership development as well as a group project to be presented at the 2010 NLN Education Summit. The program aims to help transform the future of nursing education by creating leadership opportunities for nurse educators and building diversity in the nurse educator workforce.
The five protégés are: Sandra Blackstock BSN, MS Ed, MSN, PhD, of Greensboro, N.C.; Linda S. Comer, PhD, RN, LPC, of Candler, N.C.; Bobbi M. Martin, MSN, RN, CNE, PhD Candidate, of St. Petersburg, Fla.; Jacquelyn McMillian-Bohler, MSN, CNM, of Louisville, Ky.; and Nicole B. Zeller, RN, MSN, of Mattoon, Ill.
The five mentors are: Mary Lou Bond, PhD, RN, CNE, ANEF, FAAN, of Arlington, Texas; Teresa Shellennbarger, PhD, RN, CNE, ANEF, of Indiana, Pa.; Sharon Iris Decker, RN, PhD, CCRN, ACNS-BC, ANEF, of Lubbock, Texas; Theresa M. "Terry" Valiga, EdD, RN, FAAN, of Durham, N.C.; and Carol Boswell, EdD, RN, CNE, ANEF, of Odessa, Texas. Congratulations to all 10 winners!
For more information on the NLN Foundation Faculty Leadership & Mentoring Program, visit www.nln.org |
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Nurse Practitioner Faith Coleman Named a CNN Hero
Over the course of this year, CNN viewers have nominated everyday, community heroes who have made extraordinary contributions to help others. Faith Coleman, a nurse practitioner in Bunnell, Fla., recently received a CNN hero nomination for being a “medical marvel”, showing dedication to the enhancement of human health.
Coleman was uninsured when she found out she had kidney cancer, which inspired her to help others with similar financial and health issues. A cancer survivor since 2004, she has since co-founded a free clinic in Florida to help the uninsured access healthcare. The clinic has treated more than 6,700 people since it opened in 2005.
Congratulations to Coleman for this national recognition for her outstanding work in nursing!
“CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute” will honor the top 10 CNN Heroes of 2009 on Thanksgiving, November 26, at 9 p.m. ET/PT. For more information on Coleman and other CNN Heroes, visit www.cnn.com. |
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Real-Life CSI Nursing
For many of us, our experience with CSI is limited to what we see in television programs, but some nurses play a central role in resolving and assisting in crime scene investigations every day. Forensic nurses treat victims of violent crime, perform crime scene investigations and work as “medical detectives” in clinical settings where they can provide information to assist in the criminal justice system. However, aside from their valuable detective work, the most important role of the forensic nurse is to help patients recover from the physical and emotional pain they experience after falling victim to violent crime.
Forensic nursing began receiving recognition in the 1970s, but it was not officially deemed a specialty field by the American Nurses Association (ANA) until 1995. The International Association of Forensic Nurses (IAFN) and the ANA recently released a comprehensive reference guide that identifies and defines the expectations for the role and practice of the forensic nurse, entitled Forensic Nursing: Scope and Standards of Practice.
“The new guide covers all areas of forensic nursing, which involves one of the most diverse patient populations, practice settings and types of service in nursing,” said Carey Goryl, executive director of the IAFN. “While the guide is a reference primarily for nurses, it is also an essential document for other specialists in the forensic field, such as healthcare providers, researchers, scholars and those involved in funding, legal, policy and regulatory activities.”
 Another resource for forensic nurses is the IAFN’s 17th Annual Scientific Assembly taking place October 21 through 24 in Atlanta. The meeting will feature more than 60 presentations that demonstrate how forensic nurses provide age-appropriate assessment, care and intervention for their unique patient population.
“This year’s theme is ‘Celebrating the Nurse in Forensic Nursing,’ and we expect about 650 attendees, which will make this one of the largest assemblies yet,” said Melanie Hughes Younger, CMP, meetings and events planner for the IAFN. “Also new to the Assembly this year are six day-long workshops on topics such as leadership and disaster planning.” Workshops start on Saturday and are open to all attendees.
The Assembly usually attracts forensic nurses, but within the specialty, death investigators, psychologists and corrections officers may also attend. The deadline for advance registration is Thursday, October 1, but attendees can also register onsite.
For more information on the 17th Annual Scientific Assembly of The International Association of Forensic Nurses, visit www.iafn.org.
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| Forensic nurses often examine victims of violence and conduct evidence collection. |
From the Exam Room to the Courtroom
It is common to see a nurse providing quality care and service to patients in an exam room or operating room, but some specialty nurses offer their expertise in the courtroom, too. Often interacting with and working alongside law enforcement officials, district attorneys and other members of the legal and court system, forensic nurses serve as a liaison between the medical profession and the criminal justice system.
“As a forensic nurse examiner, I am often called into the hospital to examine patients who may be victims of violence and collect forensic evidence,” said Kim Day, RN, FNE A/P, SANE-A, SAFE technical assistance coordinator of the International Association of Forensic Nurses (IAFN). “By completing the medical assessment of victims of violence or criminal activity, photo and written documentation of injury, injury identification or expert court testimony, it is rewarding to know that my specialized nursing skills help patients get the care they need.”
Most forensic nurses work in the clinical setting, often in emergency trauma or critical care areas of a hospital, but there are many other career paths within this specialty. Forensic nurses can choose to serve as legal nurse consultants, nurse attorneys, sexual assault nurses, nurse death investigators or expert medical witnesses, to name a few. Responsibilities of the forensic nurse vary according to the chosen career path, but can include assessing a patient’s physical and mental status, counseling victims of violence, collecting forensic evidence, investigating patient deaths, working with criminals in prison and training other medical professionals to appropriately treat and communicate with victimized patients.
Depending on the specific credentials that are being sought, nurses interested in this specialty can either obtain a certificate or degree. The course work for most certificates and degrees often focuses on victimology, perpetrator theory, forensic mental health, interpersonal violence, criminology and criminal justice. Nurses can also take continuing education courses to obtain the skills necessary to work in the forensic field.
“For me, forensic nursing is nursing at its core,” said Day. “In addition to collaborating with professionals outside of the medical field, you are able to work with patients coming in at a real time of crisis in their life, and you help them through the whole evidence collection process, helping them to heal physically, emotionally and spiritually. There is nothing more rewarding than helping a victim of abuse or trauma begin the healing process.”
For more information on forensic nursing, visit www.discovernursing.com.
 Jennifer Pierce-Weeks, RN, FNE program coordinator, Memorial Health System and president, International Association of Forensic Nurses
Q: Why did you decide to pursue a career in nursing?
A: My mother spent her life working as a high-risk obstetrics nurse. I watched how engaged she was with her patients and their families and how much she loved her work. My mother’s dedication sparked my interest to enter the profession and help people.
Q: What inspired you to become a forensic nurse?
A: About five years into my career, I was working in the emergency department and noticed how sexual assault patients were treated differently by both healthcare professionals and law enforcement. Those who were sexually assaulted carried a stigma, and I didn’t feel people understood the health implications that sexual assault victims endured. I became motivated to improve care for these patients, so I pursued a career in forensic nursing, where I could detect and help those who suffered from partner violence and child abuse.
Q: What advice would you offer to nurses interested in forensic nursing?
A: You are desperately needed! Nurses often encounter patients that are victims of abuse or assault, and these patients need a trained professional who understands the totality and impact of violence and the effects on their family. I encourage nurses to spend the necessary time it takes to listen and document the incident, discuss health implications, develop a plan of recovery to avoid future violence and engage law enforcement.
Q: How has nursing impacted your life?
A: Nursing has helped define who I am. It has taught me the importance of caring and respect as it relates to patients’ health. Nursing also allows me to teach my children the importance of being active members of the community and positively impacting lives.
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