what are the 3 core concepts of forensic nursing

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Forensic Nursing

What is forensic nursing.

Forensic Nursing, as outlined in the Forensic Nursing: Scope and Standards of Practice, is the practice of nursing globally when health and legal systems intersect.

Why Forensic Nursing

Victims of violence and abuse require care from a health professional who is trained to treat the trauma associated with the wrong that has been done to them—be it sexual assault, intimate partner violence, neglect, or other forms of intentional injury. Forensic nurses are also a critical resource for anti-violence efforts. They collect evidence and give testimony that can be used in a court of law to apprehend or prosecute perpetrators who commit  violent and abusive acts. 

Who can become a forensic nurse?

Since forensic nursing is a nursing specialty, a person must first become a nurse before becoming a forensic nurse. Learn more about becoming a forensic nurse.

Are there different types of forensic nurses?

Forensic nurses work in a variety of fields, including sexual assault (as Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners or SANEs), domestic violence, child abuse and neglect, elder mistreatment, death investigation, corrections, and in the aftermath of mass disasters.

Where do forensic nurses practice?

In the United States, forensic nurses most frequently work in hospitals, community anti-violence programs, coroner’s and medical examiners offices, corrections institutions and psychiatric hospitals. Forensic nurses may also be called on in mass disasters or community crisis situations.

Forensic Nursing Practice

Is forensic nursing for me, become a forensic nurse, become a sane, jennifer pierce-weeks.

Jennifer Pierce-Weeks serves as the Chief Executive Officer, overseeing all programming offered by the Association, including the annual conference and all grant-funded projects and programming. She was responsible for creating the Association's adult/adolescent and pediatric online SANE trainings and implementing the Online Learning Center. She has served IAFN in various roles including Chief Operations Officer, Education Director, Interim CEO, and Board President. She brings nearly 30 years of nursing experience, focusing on forensic nursing since 1995. Jennifer presents nationally and internationally on a variety of forensic nursing-related topics, including sexual assault and abuse, intimate partner violence, strangulation, child maltreatment and program management and sustainability. In addition, Jennifer has written, edited, and reviewed state-specific protocols and customized protocols for hospitals, journal articles, SARTs, and tribal communities.

Morgan Moeller

Morgan Moeller is the Chief Operating Officer at IAFN. Morgan is a gender-based violence expert who brings more than 16 years of progressive nonprofit leadership experience working in local, regional, state and international contexts. For nine years, Morgan led programming at domestic violence and rape crisis centers in Florida and provided training and technical assistance at the state level. In 2015, Morgan was awarded the Distinguished Victim Services Award by the Florida Office of the Attorney General related to her efforts to overhaul sexual assault forensic exam services in Northeast Florida in favor of a survivor-centered approach grounded in best practices. Since 2016, Morgan has primarily worked in the international context, serving in leadership roles with Vital Voices Global Partnership and Survivor Alliance.

As an independent consultant, Morgan has worked with clients in the US and abroad, including me too. International, to inform their efforts to advance social justice. Whether collaborating with grassroots activists in West Africa, charting strategic growth for INGOs or advising corporations on trust and safety, Morgan approaches her work through the lens of continuous quality improvement. She is motivated by the challenges inherent in navigating ambiguity, re-imagining failing systems and building cohesion among stakeholders to advance change.

Bonnie Barsa

Bonnie was previously the Project Manager for the Tribal Forensic Healthcare Project and is now managing the SAFEta project. This project provides training and technical assistance related to implementing the recommendations contained in the National Protocol for Sexual Assault Medical Forensic Examinations: Adult/Adolescent, the National Protocol for Sexual Abuse Medical Forensic Examinations: Pediatric, and related best practices, guides and resources. She has a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management with a focus on finance. Bonnie has been with IAFN for over 15 years with 30 plus years of experience in the non-profit sector.

Ms. Barsa has 30 years of experience in the non-profit sector which has focused on education and certification of professionals in various industries.

Pam Bruggeman, CMP

Pam brings more than 25 years of experience to her role as Meetings and Events Manager. Pam works with the planning committee to organize the conference and manages the logistics for the conference. She also arranges other meetings and events for the Association.

Brianna Fontenot

Brianna has joined IAFN as the Education Coordinator where she will meet with existing and new sponsors, with over four years of working experience in nursing associations. Brianna is a graduate of Texas A&M Corpus Christi and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology. She is happy to help with any exhibitor or sponsorship questions.

Karen Carroll, RN, SANE-A, SANE-P, NY-SAFE

Karen serves as a Forensic Nursing Specialist, providing Training and Technical assistance. She has been a Registered Nurse for over 40 years. She is the past Nursing Director of the Forensic Acute Care Team (FACT) in Westchester County, NY, the former Associate Director of the Bronx Sexual Assault Response Team, and the first Coordinator of the Westchester SANE Program. Karen received her training to become a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner in New York City in 1997 and has been nationally certified as a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner of Adult and Adolescent patients since 2002, and Pediatric patients since 2014. She has been a member of the International Association of Forensic Nurses since 1998, and the Past President of the NYS Chapter of the IAFN. She served as a Commissioner on the Forensic Nurse Certification Board and was the recipient of the IAFN Achievement Award in 2004. She has completed over 3000 forensic examinations and frequently provides expert witness testimony in criminal court for prosecutors and defense attorneys.

Ms. Carroll has made numerous presentations throughout the United States, Africa, Jordan, and Columbia on the topics of sexual assault, forensic examiner programs and her personal experience as a survivor of marital rape.

Karen appears as a mentor in the virtual practicum entitled “Sexual Assault: Clinical and Forensic Management.

Karen has two sons and four grandchildren.

Andrea Cavanagh

Andrea has provided administrative support to Association staff and projects since 2011. Since joining the organization full time in 2012, she has supported the Certification program and Educational programs and served as an online learning coordinator. Currently, she coordinates the TeleHealth project. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Management with a concentration in accounting. After 5 years of accounting/finance experience, she expanded her education to include law enforcement and worked 7 years on the road with some undercover assignments and specialized task force work.

Diane Daiber, BSN, RN, SANE-A, SANE-P

As a Forensic Nursing Specialist, Diane works to strengthen the quality of medical forensic care through the development and delivery of quality education. She offers expert training and technical assistance to sexual assault forensic nurses and allied professionals. A forensic nurse examiner with 35 years of nursing experience, including forensic nursing program development and sustainability under her management, Diane has been an integral member of Sexual Assault Response Teams in her community, the Ohio Attorney General Sexual Assault Response Training Team, a preferred trainer for Ohio Peace Officers Training Academy, and the Collaborative Initiative to End Human Trafficking. Additionally, she presents the Association's Adolescent/Adult and Pediatric SANE courses, and lectures globally on a variety of forensic nursing-related topics.

Sandra Erickson

Sandy is a lifelong Alaskan whose varied roots make her most comfortable in this culturally diverse state. She has over 20 years of experience in customer service and executive administrative support and holds an AAS in Human Services. Sandy's experience working with social service programs covering Mental Health, Child Development, Homelessness, and Elder Mentoring has been an education as varied as Alaska.

Margaret M. Glembocki, DNP, RN, ACNP-BC, CSC, FAANP

Margaret M. Glembocki is currently serving as the Education and Publications Director at IAFN. Additionally, she is an Assistant Professor of Nursing at Lawrence Technological University. She earned her Doctorate of Nursing Practice (DNP) from Oakland University, her MSN with an Acute Care Nurse Practitioner concentration from Wayne State University, and her BSN from Madonna University and is currently working toward her PhD at Duquesne University with a dissertation focus on intimate partner violence.

Dr. Glembocki has extensive experience in academic program development where she has co-developed and implemented a Forensic Nursing program (MSN) as well as developed and granted approval for an Adult-Gerontological Acute Care Nurse Practitioner program (MSN). She is also committed to developing innovative ways to educate nurses focusing on forensic nursing practice. As an acute care nurse practitioner, bringing the role of the forensic nurse to the healthcare system of extreme importance as the need is great for the patients severed in all acute care settings.

Sarah Jimenez-Valdez

Sarah has provided support to IAFN since April 2018. She enjoys supporting the organization and colleagues with tasks related to various federally-funded projects, membership and financial affairs. Sarah is dedicated to working for the under-served and thus has dedicated her career to working in the non-profit sector over the last 16 years. Sarah previously worked in the domestic violence field but also has a background women’s health issues. Among Sarah's skills, are organizational development, in which she's worked with developing organizational culture and the use of the Enneagram tool.

Dreama Kirby

Dreama began working with the Association in 2013 on a contract basis as an administrative assistant to the Finance Director before joining the organization as a full time employee in 2014. With over 20 years of human resources and customer service experience she easily transitioned into her current role as the HR Senior Manager.

Kerri Knadle

Kerri Knadle supports IAFN's grant-funded projects. She brings 12 years of experience within the association and events industry. She has held association roles in membership, meetings, and corporate alliances. Kerri holds a Bachelor's degree in Mass Communications from Towson University.

Kathleen Maguire, JD, BSN, BS, RN

Kathleen Maguire serves as the Senior Director for the Association's certification program (e.g., SANE-A; SANE-P; and in collaboration with the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), AFN-BC via portfolio).

Immediately prior to joining IAFN, Ms. Maguire had worked at ANCC as a Senior Editor--the only nurse in the department responsible for developing professional certification examinations for 36 different nursing specialties. Ms. Maguire began her career as a neuroscience research nurse at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), While at NIH, Ms. Maguire decided to obtain a law degree from Georgetown University, where she was hired upon graduation as a legal researcher, writer, and editor.

In addition to her full-time work addressing any and all issues related to forensic nursing certification, she has served as the Managing Editor of the Journal of Forensic Nursing and as the co-editor of the Core Curriculum for Forensic Nursing.

Janice Burch

Janice recently joined the Certification team at IAFN and brings 15 years of experience delivering technical and operational support to diverse stakeholders and customer bases in the telecommunications, government, real estate, tech, and consulting industries.

Her most recent organizational experience includes three years of B2B software support at a project management SaaS company. Her work there included troubleshooting and triaging technical issues, maintaining internal and external knowledge bases, and software implementation training. Internally, she refined the new hire onboarding program as a team trainer and led other operational improvement efforts for a globally distributed CS team.

Janice has developed and led award-winning and highly-rated professional development programs during her time in tech and as the founder of a coaching and strategic planning firm with clients in the non-profit, government, and corporate sectors.

She is excited to collaborate with her teammates and to bring her expertise in project management, program management, support operations, and customer success strategy to support IAFN's certification program.

Janice enjoys journaling, culinary festivals, outdoor activities, word puzzles, and 90s R&B. She is equally intrigued by history and pop culture. She loves connecting over shared values and experiences.

Apple Montuya

Prior to joining IAFN, Apple Montuya spent most of her career developing IT solutions and administering systems. In IAFN, she leverages experience in web development and project management to manage websites and databases.

Kim Nash, BSN, RN, SANE-A, SANE-P

Kim Nash serves as a Forensic Nursing Specialist, providing training and technical assistance. Ms. Nash has been a practicing registered nurse for 19 years. She has made her impact in the field worldwide. At the local level, she has been a practicing SANE in Colorado Springs, CO. She is also a Colorado state SANE/SAFE Project Trainer. Nationally, her involvement includes teaching on issues ranging from sexual violence, intimate partner violence, human trafficking, and strangulation. In 2012, she was one of two forensic nurse consultants for an IAFN/USAID project in Swaziland, Africa, mentoring local health care professionals in the care of pediatric rape patients with an emphasis on the prevention of HIV.

Ms. Nash has been a highly involved member of IAFN, serving on the IAFN Board of Directors as Secretary (2012-2014), as a Past President of the Colorado Chapter of IAFN (2011), and as a consultant on a number of IAFN projects.

Angelita Olowu, BSN, RN, SANE-A, SANE-P

Angelita Olowu serves as a Forensic Nursing Director, providing training and technical assistance.

She has 12 years of nursing experience, and has practiced as a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) since 2010. She received her certification for SANE-A in 2015 and SANE-P in 2016. Within her role as a full-time forensic nurse at Hillcrest Cleveland Clinic Hospital in Cleveland, OH, Angelita provided education and leadership to the forensic nursing staff, guidance around her patient population to the Hospital, and community education and outreach to various entities including schools, colleges and universities, and others on prevention and caring for those who have experienced trauma of personal violence.

She has served as a member of a hospital based Domestic Violence Committee, a hospital-based Child Protection Team, and the Cuyahoga County Child Advocacy Center Advisory Committee. She is a member of various professional organizations including IAFN, the Cuyahoga County Sexual Assault Response Team, and the Civil Rights Task Force. Additionally, she serves on a committee with the Collaborative to End Human Trafficking.

Christina Presenti

Christina Presenti serves new, existing, and future IAFN members to ensure folks are taking advantage of everything IAFN has to offer including its community, programs, training, and access to experts that IAFN provides. Christina is happy to chat with and answer anyone’s questions about becoming a member and joining the IAFN member community. Call, email, reach out anytime and tell a friend too!

Christina has a deep dedication to empowering victims of violence and healthcare providers that care for them. She previously held positions at the National Sexual Violence Resource Center, the New Hampshire Coalition of Domestic and Sexual Violence, and Bridges Domestic and Sexual Violence Support, her local crisis center. Christina is a graduate of Assumption College and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Global Studies with minors in Women's Studies and Economics. She is happy to help with any membership questions or needs!

Meghety Foudoulian

Meghety recently joined IAFN as the Marketing Manager. She has over 6 years experience in Sales, over 5 years experience in Hospitality Management and 3 years experience in Marketing. She received her Masters in Commerce, specialization in Marketing from Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia. Prior to joining IAFN, Meghety was the Marketing Manager for a luxury architectural lighting manufacturer company.

Stacy Robertson

Since joining the Association in 2006, Stacy has worn many hats. As one of only three employees in the Association's early years, Ms. Robertson has done everything from answering the phone to managing the store to staffing the registration desk at the annual conference. In her current role as Finance Director, you're most likely to find her chasing down credit card receipts or triple checking our daily ledger to make sure the Association's finances are in order.

Nicole Stahlmann

Nicole Stahlmann serves as a Forensic Nursing Specialist, providing training and technical assistance. A registered nurse with clinical experience since 2010, Nicole has dedicated her career to forensic nursing. She received her Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE-A) certificate in 2015 and received her Advanced Forensic Nurse Board Certification (AFN-BC) in 2016 from the American Nurses Credentialing Center.

Prior to her work with the International Association of Forensic Nurses (IAFN), Nicole served as the Clinical Program Manager for the District of Columbia Forensic Nurse Examiners. Nicole continues to practice clinically, providing care for patients who have experienced violence. Nicole was an emergency department nurse and an adjunct instructor, teaching both undergraduate and Master students at Georgetown University. Beginning in 2018, Nicole worked with the United States Department of State to consult on sexual assault policies and procedures. She has trained their healthcare providers in patient centered, trauma-informed medical care of the sexual assault patient in the overseas environment. Nicole has been active in the forensic nursing community having served as the Secretary for the Maryland - District of Columbia IAFN Chapter, was an active member of the DC Sexual Assault Response Team, and she also served as Secretary, President-Elect, and President on the Foundation Board of the IAFN.

Sarah Tucker

Sarah has been with the Association since 2012 and has served in a variety of roles over that time. She came to IAFN to manage the SANE Sustainability Project and later managed the Tribal Forensic Healthcare Training Project before transitioning to roles as Communications Director, Online Learning Director, and Technology Director. In 2021, she is excited to have turned her focus to instructional design.

She has 21 years of experience in the domestic violence/sexual assault field, including more than a decade providing training, technical assistance, and advocacy in the US and internationally. She has written several journal articles and delivered Congressional testimony on the use of technology to perpetrate violence against women. Sarah holds a Bachelor's degree in Rhetoric/Writing and Foreign Languages and has completed graduate work in Cybersecurity.

Amy Valentine

Amy coordinates our Online Learning Center and web-based learning activities. She has supported the certification, education, and membership departments in her time at IAFN and enjoys using her skills to ensure successful training and educational opportunities for our members. Amy brings over 20 years of experience in administration, finance, and customer service. Prior to joining IAFN, she spent 15 years providing administrative support to the Emergency Department and then the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Frederick Health Hospital in Frederick, MD.

Contact - Apple Montuya

Contact - jennifer pierce-weeks, contact - morgan moeller, contact - bonnie barsa, contact - pam bruggeman, contact - brianna fontenot, contact - karen caroll, contact - kathleen maguire, contact - kerri knadle, contact - kim nash, contact - meghety foudoulian, contact - megan crowe, contact - sandy erickson, contact - margaret glembocki, contact - sarah jimenez-valdez, contact - sarah tucker, contact - stacy robertson, contact - tammy scarlett, contact - amy valentine, contact - andrea cavanagh, contact - angelita olowu, contact - christina presenti, contact - diane daiber, contact - dreama kirby, gail hornor.

Gail Hornor is a pediatric nurse practitioner who worked in a hospital-based child advocacy center for 28 years and coordinated a pediatric sexual assault nurse examiner program in the Emergency Department.

Contact - Gail Hornor

Cindy wright.

Cindy Wright brings more than 30 years’ experience in nonprofit communications and marketing with a focus on health communications, to her role as Communications Director. Her work has encompassed media relations, writing, public relations, digital marketing including web management, event management, and member affiliate communications. Her work has supported state and federal policy, education, research, philanthropy, and events on the local, regional and national levels.

Cindy has been a part of many initiatives for nursing, medical and other care providers; her team manages membership, marketing, web/IT management, and communications. Cindy is a graduate of the University of Maryland and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism with a minor in marketing.

Contact - Cindy Wright

The International Association of Forensic Nurses is a professional membership organization. If you are the victim of a crime, get help  here . If you are in immediate danger, call 911

Megan Crowe

Megan is a Forensic Nursing Specialist, providing Training and Technical assistance to those performing SANE services. She has been a Registered Nurse since 2003 and has focused on Women's Services throughout her nursing career. Megan completed the SANE Training in 2012 and has performed hundreds of forensic exams. She has worked as a SAFE Program Coordinator, providing education, leadership, and support to forensic nursing staff, has served on community sexual assault response teams, and received the Victim's Advocate Award for the City of Jacksonville. In 2021, Megan graduated with a Master's Degree in Forensic Nursing and currently practices as a SANE-A, providing care to patients in her community.

Chantel Hammond

Chantel is a Forensic Nursing Specialist, providing Training and Technical assistance to those performing SANE services. She received her Bachelors of Science of Nursing from the University of Michigan and her Masters of Science in Nursing, focusing in Forensic Nursing, from Oakland University. She has dedicated her career to caring for patients impacted by trauma, violence & maltreatment, starting off as a trauma/emergency nurse at Michigan Medicine in 2015. From there, she practiced as a forensic nurse examiner in various roles including bedside and leadership, while caring for pediatric, adolescent & adult sexual assault survivors and survivors of intimate partner violence. She holds a certification as a Pediatric & Adolescent/Adult Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner & Advanced Forensic Nurse Examiner. She specializes in forensic nursing education, IPV/non-fatal strangulation assessment, & health equity, diversity & inclusion.

Koren Grzelak

Koren is a Forensic Nursing Specialist who provides Training and Technical Assistance. She has 18 years of experience in the nursing profession, 12 of those as a Registered Nurse. Koren has specialized in Emergency Nursing, Forensic Nursing, Case Management, and she has served as a Clinical Director and Supervisor in healthcare settings that include Homecare, Inpatient Care, and Outpatient Clinics. In all of her various roles, Koren has always prioritized ensuring the needs of patients are heard and met and acting as a liaison between patients and other healthcare providers.

Contact - Koren Grzelak

Contact - chantel hammond, contact - christina devine, christina devine.

Christina has recently joined IAFN as a part of the Communications team. With over 8 years of experience in Customer Service and 3 years of Digital Communications experience, Christina is excited to transition to work with the members of IAFN, ensuring each member gets the most out of their experience.

Christina works with various aspects of IAFN. Christina has a Bachelor of Arts in Communication with a focus on Public Relations.

Contact - Sandy Huntzinger

Sandy huntzinger.

Sandy Huntzinger, MSW is SART Project Manager. She is a long-time advocate in the field of gender-based violence. For over 23 years she has worked in both direct services with survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault and systems-based advocacy at the local, state and national level. Sandy has worked in domestic violence shelter services as a victim advocate within a prosecutor’s office, providing advocacy and safety planning. From that point she worked for the state domestic violence coalition, creating a statewide training institute, developing policies and protocols for first responders, and training multidisciplinary justice partner audiences throughout the state. For over thirteen years she managed the Ohio Attorney General’s Sexual Assault Forensic Exam program, reimbursing over $5.4 million a year. During this period, Sandy instituted an online reimbursement process, policies related to exams and HIV prophylaxis reimbursement, and coordinated the use of a statewide kit tracking system.

Additionally, she managed a multidisciplinary team to train thousands of individuals on sexual assault, domestic violence, stalking, strangulation, and developing a multidisciplinary response within a community. Throughout her career, Sandy has learned that when you know better, you do better, and you work better together. This is how we begin making social change.

Pamela Holtzinger

Pamela Holtzinger is Forensic Nursing Director. She has earned a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP), a Master of Science in Nursing with a Public Health concentration, and completed a teaching certificate in nursing. She holds national certifications including CEN, SANE-A, SANE-P, and AFN-BC. She has over 35 years in nursing with over 25 years serving as a Forensic Nurse Examiner. She managed and developed hospital-based Forensic Nursing Services programs in Maryland to expand the care response to include individuals impacted by sexual assault, domestic violence, child maltreatment, human trafficking elder abuse, and nonfatal strangulation. Her work includes community-based multidisciplinary collaboratives as well as extensive experience designing and conducting forensic nurse training including advanced training topics and clinical skills lab experiences. Pamela is a faculty member of the Maryland Child Abuse Medical Professionals and has served on numerous workgroups and committees to address critical issues related to child abuse, human trafficking, access to sexual assault services, and intimate partner violence.

Contact - Pamela Holtzinger

Tammy bimber.

Tammy Bimber is a Forensic Nursing Specialist who facilitates the development and implementation of SANE programs with clinical preceptorship and provides expert guidance to providers of sexual assault services. Tammy has spent over two decades specializing in forensic nursing and emergency medicine and working as a forensic coordinator in various facilities. Tammy serves on various boards and committees to promote best practices and advocate for victims of violence. She has presented at various local, state, and national conferences and has received recognition and awards for her forensic nursing work including the Kim Day Service Award in 2022. Tammy has authored and co-authored journal articles and a chapter in the IAFN Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner Certification Review book. Tammy completed her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania, her Master of Science in Nursing from California University of Pennsylvania, and her Doctor of Nursing Practice at Waynesburg University.

Contact - Tammy Bimber

Haley coalson.

Haley Coalson is the Grant Assistant providing administrative support to project managers and staff. She brings frontline advocacy experience to IAFN, having worked as a community-based victim’s advocate, in varying capacities, for several years. Haley holds a bachelor’s of science degree in criminal justice. As an advocate, she has worked directly alongside Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners, advocated for pediatric and adult sexual assault survivors and their families, and created her own training for the trauma-informed interview process to present to law enforcement and other MDT/SART partners, with the goal that all survivors are provided the best team-based care. Haley is passionate about providing trauma-informed care to all survivors and is excited to merge her experience in advocacy and grant management within her role at IAFN.

Contact - Haley Coalson

Contact - kalen knight, kalen knight.

Kalen Knight is the Forensic Nursing Specialist-Education. He has extensive experience in clinical practice and education development from his prior professional nursing experiences, including emergency, trauma, infectious disease, biocontainment/quarantine, nursing education, and forensic nursing. Kalen previously revamped an all-encompassing new graduate ER nurse fellowship program, and coordinated the initiation of a formal hospital-based forensic examiner program that responds and cares for victims and survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence, intimate partner violence, human trafficking, and elder abuse. He has a special passion for workplace violence prevention that resulted in the development and coordination of a support program specifically built for colleagues in domestic violence/intimate partner violence situations. Kalen is committed to bringing innovative ideas to forensic nursing and fostering expansion and support for the specialty as a whole. He is a practicing SANE-A at Nebraska Medicine in Omaha, Neb., a Medicolegal Death Investigator in Pottawattamie County, Iowa, and an adjunct lecturer for the Master in Forensic Nursing Program at Oakland University for the Quality, Legal, Matters of Death Course and Clinical.

Contact - Laci Smith

Laci is a Forensic Nursing Specialist providing training and technical assistance. She is a certified Pediatric nurse with almost a decade of experience in various settings such as pediatric inpatient acute care, community based sexual assault and child advocacy centers, and in the academic setting. Laci has developed and led multidisciplinary simulation programs in the clinical and academic settings, as well as developing and teaching curricula in Associate and Baccalaureate degree programs. Laci holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and a Master of Science in Nursing from Georgia Southwestern State University. She is a practicing SANE-A at The Lily Pad SANE Center and a Forensic Nurse Educator for the Georgia Forensic Nursing Network. Laci is passionate about providing trauma informed and inclusive care to all patients.

Contact - Kelsey Morris

Kelsey morris.

Kelsey Morris is a Project Manager. She has extensive experience working with local and Tribal communities and serving as an advocate for individuals within those communities. Kelsey is an enrolled member of the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in social welfare and is working toward her Master’s degree in human and health services administration.

Contact - Chenel Vanden Berk

Chenel vanden berk.

Chenel Vanden Berk is a Forensic Nursing Specialist. She has dedicated her career to forensic nursing for over 13 years and has been actively involved as an IAFN member, having served as the Illinois Chapter president in 2018-2019 and member of its board of directors, 2023-January 2024. As a forensic nurse, Chenel combines her passion for caring for patients who have been victimized with a focus on healthcare, science, and justice. She has actively participated in several multi-disciplinary teams, including the Illinois Domestic Violence Fatality Review Team. Her commitment to advocating for healthcare equity and inclusion for individuals who have been victimized led her to serve as a member of Illinois Congresswoman Lauren Underwood’s Healthcare Advisory Council, 2020-2022. Before nursing, Chenel was an attorney who practiced public interest law in Chicago, focusing on families and domestic violence. She earned her Bachelor of Science from Georgetown University and her Juris Doctor from Loyola University School of Law.

Contact - Heather Trusty

Heather trusty.

Heather Trusty is the Director, Certification at IAFN. She brings over 25 years of experience in certification, professional development, and association management. Her experience includes developing and maintaining certification exams as well as creating new certification products. Heather is responsible for overseeing the SANE-A and SANE-P certification and recertification programs. This includes policy development, certification procedures, exam development, the job analysis process, and updating the test specifications as well as the certification exams.