Resources
Forensic Resources
In this section I have included a number of resources and videos I have developed related to reduction of secondary trauma, provision of trauma informed sexual assault services and injury assessment (the BALD STEP guide to physical findings with trauma). Please use these resources as you need them, with acknowledgement where possible.
Forensic Nursing
"Forensic" means "in the public forum" - forensic nursing is application of holistic nursing to situations that have potential legal implications. These include issues such as interpersonal violence,, impaired driving, suicide and overdoses. Forensic nurses are in positions such as sexual assault and domestic violence examiners, death investigators, corrections nurses, and forensic mental health/psychiatry units. They are also in trauma units, surgical units and some with police forces or medical examiner offices. The core focus is still the nursing care implications of the violence rather than evidence collection or working "for the police".
This is the first of 8 half hour modules developed for multidisciplinary professionals working with recent victims of sexual assault in rural and remote areas. The program is called Enhanced Emergency Sexual Assault Services (EESAS). It is designed to give a shared understanding of comprehensive sexual assault services so professionals within each of their existing scopes of practice. They can then collaboratively provide trauma informed care in areas unable to support specialized sexual assault examiners. The full course can be accessed free of charge by professionals on request at www.forensiceducation.ca. A 45 minute video is also available on request or through that site once registered which summarizes the sexual assault exam and evidence collection principles.
Stand Up and Protect Each Other- Bystander Intervention for Sexual Assault
cartersnell-fulldissert-final.pdfCarter-Snell, C. (2007). Understanding women's risks for injury from sexual assault. PhD Dissertation. University of Alberta, Edmonton