Careers: Nursing/Expert Profile

Expertise

I am an experienced forensic nurse examiner and have done cases relating to domestic violence, sexual assault and elder abuse in the state of California. I've consulted nationally and internationally, for the Undersecretary of Health (Veterans Administration) and for the region of Novgorod, Russia (300,000 people)in a forensic capacity. I can answer question having to do with forensic nursing, operating room nursing (scrub & circulate), intensive care and aeromedical flight nursing. I also have vast military nursing experience in peace time and war time and have over 18 years in VA Hospital experience. I have lectured on forensic awareness, domestic violence and sexual assault. I have experience as a nurse manager and preceptor. I have developed new grad programs for ICU and managed them successfully. I have been a patient advocate & consultant, answering questions in plain English, to unravel and gap the patient-doctor relationship and the mystery of the medical world "lingo".

Experience in the area

forensic nursing, expert witness, forensic nurse examiner, operating room, intensive care, aeromedical flight nursing (fixed wing), military nursing, elder abuse, veteran hospital nursing

Organizations

IAFN (International Association of Forensic Nursing), ACFEI, AORN (Association of Operating Room Nurses), Sigma Theta Tau Honor Society of Nursing,CHIA (California Homicide Investigators Association)

Publications

please see http://forensicnurse.weebly.com and click on "spotlight" and "pearls"

Education/Credentials

Registered Nurse licensed in Arizona & California. ADN - Phoenix College of Nursing. BSN - University of Phoenix. CNOR - Certified Nationally - Operating Room. DABFN - Diplomate, American Board of Forensic Nursing. fellow, ACFEI - American College of Forensic Examiners Institute.

What do you still hope to achieve/learn in this field?

I hope to be solicited to join a homicide task force and get forensic nurse examiners in the forefront of the homicide investigative team to rule out domestic violence and sexual assaults in homicides.

Something interesting about this subject that others may not know:

Forensic Nursing - closing the gap between the medical, legal and law enforcement genres - one case at a time

Something controversial or provocative about this subject

The national efforts to close the gap on perpetrators of crimes having to do with sexual assault, homicide and domestic violence is growing by leaps and bounds. CODIS is instrumental in this as well as the states communicating with each other about standards of practice.