Praise for A Practical Guide to Forensic Nursing “The interface of nursing, healthcare, and the law confronts nurses in all domains of practice. Angela Amar and Kathy Seukula’s new book, A Practical Guide to Forensic Nursing, represents a milestone to help guide nurses in their care of victims and their families. The authors have presented excerpts from actual situations of the many peo- ple involved in a crime, and the reader of these cases will quickly develop an under- standing of the practice of forensic nursing. This is an important book that sheds light on difficult and stressful phenomenons of our times.” –Ann Wolbert Burgess, DNSc, APRN, FAAN Professor of Psychiatric Nursing, Connell School of Nursing, Boston College “Amar and Sekula formalize the notion that all RNs practice forensic nursing. Then they lay a persuasive foundation of theories, forensic science concepts, existing evi- dence base, and practice exemplars of the common presentation when RN patient care intersects with legal systems. I highly recommend the book to academicians and RNs alike.” –Patricia M. Speck, DNSc, APRN, FNP-BC, DF-IAFN, FAAFS, FAAN Professor and Program Director for Global Outreach Department of Family, Community & Health Systems The University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Nursing “Amar and Sekula are to be praised for A Practical Guide to Forensic Nursing, the lat- est forensic nursing textbook entrant. A must-have for students, practitioners, and associates, it is particularly strong in the areas of crime perpetration, victimization, and traumatization and how to approach the patient. A focus on principles keeps this book readable, and the tender care of the authoring nurses seeps through the pages. Case studies provide a basis for discussion in class.” –Victor W. Weedn, MD, JD Professor and Chair George Washington University Department of Forensic Sciences FN.indb 1 9/24/15 7:10 AM “Although forensic nursing was not formally recognized as a specialty in the fields of clinical healthcare and forensic science until a couple of decades ago by the American Academy of Forensic Science and the American Medical Association, experienced and knowledgeable ER physicians, trauma surgeons, psychiatrists, and medicolegal con- sultants have long been aware of the critical role played by nurses in various matters involving both civil and criminal litigation. Amar and Sekula have organized and edited an excellent volume that covers all aspects of forensic nursing. An outstanding team of expert practitioners and academicians has contributed valuable, practical information that should constitute an essential reference work for not only present and future forensic nurses, but for every nurse whose professional life is devoted to the care and needs of emotionally and physically traumatized individuals in both the medical and legal arenas.” –Cyril H. Wecht, MD, JD Chair, Board of Advisors for Cyril H. Wecht Institute of Forensic Sciences and Adjunct Professor of Law, Duquesne University Clinical Professor, Department of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine Distinguished Professor of Pathology, Carlow University “A Practical Guide to Forensic Nursing represents an emerging aspect in nursing edu- cation that is designed to support the development of the forensic generalist in nurs- ing science. The content of this book is grounded in the scientific underpinnings of the integrated practice of nursing science, forensic science, and the legal sciences. This publication presents the significance of the broad and complex areas of these merging sciences and the implications for contemporary nursing practice with a focus on the reduction and prevention of human violence. I believe that this excellent text will help to inspire and prepare the highest-quality professionals to represent the vision and purpose of forensic nursing science.” –Virginia A. Lynch, MSN, RN, FCNS, FAAFS, FAAN Founding President, International Association of Forensic Nurses Independent Forensic Scholar, Consultant, Author FN.indb 2 9/24/15 7:10 AM A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO FORENSIC NURSING Incorporating Forensic Principles Into Nursing Practice | Angela F. Amar, PhD, RN, FAAN L. Kathleen Sekula, PhD, PMHCNS, FAAN FN.indb 3 9/24/15 7:10 AM Copyright © 2016 by Sigma Theta Tau International All rights reserved. This book is protected by copyright. No part of it may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission from the publisher. Any trademarks, service marks, design rights, or similar rights that are men- tioned, used, or cited in this book are the property of their respective owners. Their use here does not imply that you may use them for similar or any other purpose. The Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International (STTI) is a nonprofit organization whose mis- sion is to support the learning, knowledge, and professional development of nurses committed to making a difference in health worldwide. Founded in 1922, STTI has more than 135,000 active members in 85 coun- tries. Members include practicing nurses, instructors, researchers, policymakers, entrepreneurs, and others. STTI’s 500 chapters are located at 699 institutions of higher learning throughout Armenia, Australia, Botswa- na, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, England, Ghana, Hong Kong, Japan, Kenya, Lebanon, Malawi, Mexico, the Netherlands, Pakistan, Portugal, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Swaziland, Sweden, Taiwan, Tanzania, Thailand, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America. More information about STTI can be found online at www.nursingsociety.org. Sigma Theta Tau International 550 West North Street Indianapolis, IN, USA 46202 To order additional books, buy in bulk, or order for corporate use, contact Nursing Knowledge International at 888. NKI.4YOU (888.654.4968/US and Canada) or +1.317.634.8171 (outside US and Canada). To request a review copy for course adoption, email [email protected] or call 888.NKI.4YOU (888.654.4968/US and Canada) or +1.317.634.8171 (outside US and Canada). To request author information, or for speaker or other media requests, contact Marketing, Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International at 888.634.7575 (US and Canada) or +1.317.634.8171 (outside US and Canada). ISBN: 9781940446349 EPUB ISBN: 9781940446356 PDF ISBN: 9781940446363 MOBI ISBN: 9781940446370 ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication data A practical guide to forensic nursing : incorporating forensic principles into nursing practice / [edited by] Angela Amar, L. Kathleen Sekula. p. ; cm. Includes bibliographical references. ISBN 978-1-940446-34-9 (print : alk. paper) -- ISBN 978-1-940446-35-6 (epub) -- ISBN 978-1-940446-36-3 (pdf) -- ISBN 978-1-940446-37-0 (mobi) I. Amar, Angela, 1960- , editor. II. Sekula, L. Kathleen, 1943- , editor. III. Sigma Theta Tau International, issuing body. [DNLM: 1. Forensic Nursing. WY 170] RA1053 614'.1--dc23 2015033597 ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ First Printing, 2015 Publisher: Dustin Sullivan Principal Book Editor: Carla Hall Acquisitions Editor: Emily Hatch Development and Project Editor: Rebecca Senninger Editorial Coordinator: Paula Jeffers Copy Editor: Erin Geile Cover Designer: Rebecca Batchelor Proofreader: Todd Lothery Interior Design/Page Layout: Rebecca Batchelor Indexer: Larry Sweazy FN.indb 4 9/24/15 7:10 AM Dedication We begin and end this journey with a tremendous amount of gratitude. What began as a vision shared through numerous discussions has now become a real- ity. We have long believed that every nurse is a forensic nurse, in that every nurse encounters patients with forensic issues at some and often multiple points in his or her practice. This book enables us to share our vision while providing infor- mation that can enhance and transform nursing practice. We dedicate this book to victims of violence throughout the world and hope that in some way this book will impact caregivers in such a way that care of victims across the continuum will improve as nurses become more and more knowledgeable about ways they can make a difference in victims’ lives. We also acknowledge the complexity of issues related to perpetrators of violence, many of whom were also victims at a time in their lives. We look to a time when the healthcare system is fully pre- pared to provide optimal care for all forensic patients. FN.indb 5 9/24/15 7:10 AM Acknowledgments I want to acknowledge my husband, Conway, for his continued support through- out my career. I also greatly appreciate my children, mother, sister and her family, and brothers and their families. I think that they built the wings that keep me afloat. I also thank my many coworkers and colleagues for the support offered while I worked on this book. –Angela Amar I thank my family for patience and understanding, especially my husband, Ray, as I took time away from “life” to work on this book, which I consider very impor- tant in improving care of the forensic patient. The encouragement I received from many in my life—family, friends, and close colleagues—was invaluable. –Kathleen Sekula We offer our sincere thanks to the authors with whom we worked for their wis- dom and insight regarding forensic nursing practice. They shared their years of experience and knowledge at a level that all practicing nurses can understand and grasp. We hope that the readers of this book benefit and learn from reading it, as we did while working on it. We are also excited about the changes that will be seen in practice that can potentially affect the lives of myriad patients who are seeking healthcare and experiencing forensic issues. Finally, we would be remiss if we didn’t thank the editorial team that helped us through this process. Emily Hatch, our acquisitions editor, believed in us and provided encouragement and guidance throughout the process. Carla Hall, our principal book editor, and Rebecca Senninger, our project editor, were instrumen- tal in crafting the final product. What they do to make each and every chapter special is a result of their vast expertise and editing abilities. Their patience and support was amazing. We learned so much from each of them as we worked through the creation of this book. To each of you and to the entire behind-the-scenes folks at Sigma Theta Tau International, we extend heartfelt appreciation. FN.indb 6 9/24/15 7:10 AM About the Authors Angela F. Amar, PhD, RN, FAAN, is an associate professor and assistant dean for BSN education in the Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing at Emory Uni- versity. She conducts research on dating violence, mental health responses to trau- ma, and strategies to increase help-seeking behavior. Her research consistently focuses on African-American women. She has conducted funded research, pub- lished more than 45 articles and book chapters on dating violence and sexual assault, and is active in university service related to violence and diversity. Amar is a fellow in the American Academy of Nursing, member of the Expert Panel on Psychiatric and Substance Abuse Care, and co-chair of its Expert Panel on Vio- lence. Amar also serves on the Institute of Medicine Committee on the Biological and Psychosocial Effects of Peer Victimization: Lessons for Bullying Prevention. She is a distinguished fellow with the International Association of Forensic Nurs- es and received the 2015 Excellence in Practice and Policy award from the Nurs- ing Network on Violence Against Women International. Amar is on the National Advisory Committee for the Robert Wood Johnson Future of Nursing Scholars program, a public voices fellow with the Op-Ed project, and an associate editor for the Journal of Forensic Nursing. Amar is certified as a clinical nurse specialist in advanced practice adult psychiatric and mental health and as an advanced forensic nurse. In her faculty role at Boston College, she developed a graduate program in forensic nursing and secured funding from the Health Resources and Services Administration for the program. L. Kathleen Sekula, PhD, PMHCNS, FAAN, is a professor at Duquesne Univer- sity School of Nursing in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She has strengthened the role of forensic nursing regarding victims and perpetrators of violence through her leadership in evidence-based graduate programs and her continuing energy to expand forensic nursing science through her research and practice trajectory. Sekula created the graduate forensic programs (MSN, DNP, and PhD) at the School of Nursing with the support of two 3-year program grants from the Department of Health and Human Services. As an innovator in the area of foren- sic nursing practice, she provides guidance to forensic nurse professionals in the United States and other countries. She served as president of the International FN.indb 7 9/24/15 7:10 AM viii A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO FORENSIC NURSING Association of Forensic Nurses Certification Board and in that capacity worked to establish forensic nurse certification at the advanced practice level. She served on the editorial review board for the International Journal of Forensic Nursing for 6 years and continues as a reviewer for the journal. Sekula is a fellow in the American Academy of Nursing and serves on the Expert Panel on Violence. She is a recipient of the Virginia Lynch Pioneer in Nursing Award from the Internation- al Association of Forensic Nurses. She is an advanced practice adult psychiatric mental health clinical nurse specialist and maintains a faculty practice in the care of patients with depression and anxiety, many of whom are current and/or previous victims of violence. Sekula serves on the board of the Cyril H. Wecht Institute of Forensic Science and Law, as adjunct faculty in the School of Law, and as an advisor to the programs offered through the institute. FN.indb 8 9/24/15 7:10 AM Contributing Authors Paul Thomas Clements, PhD, APRN-BC, CGS, DF-IAFN, is an associate clinical professor and coordinator of the Forensic Trends in Healthcare Certificate pro- gram online at Drexel University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His clinical expe- rience includes previously serving as assistant director/bereavement therapist at the Homicide Bereavement Center at the Office of the Medical Examiner in Philadel- phia, Pennsylvania. He is an experienced therapist, forensic consultant, and criti- cal incident/trauma response specialist with many years of experience in manage- ment/administration and crisis intervention. Clements has provided counseling and crisis intervention to over 1,500 families of murder victims as well as to many surviving family members in the aftermath of suicide, industrial and occupational deaths, motor vehicle accidents, sudden infant death syndrome, and other types of sudden violent death, as well as to survivors of interpersonal violence such as sex- ual abuse, rape, and stalking. More recently, Clements traveled to Bolivia to work with agencies, including court judges and prosecutors, regarding the impact of childhood sexual abuse on women and children. Clements was inducted as a dis- tinguished fellow in the International Association of Forensic Nurses in 2002. Alison M. Colbert, PhD, PHCNS-BC, is an associate professor and the associate dean for academic affairs at the Duquesne University School of Nursing. She is a clinical nurse specialist in public/community health with 20 years of clinical expe- rience. Named a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Nurse Faculty Scholar in 2010, Colbert has centered her clinical practice and research on health promotion in vulnerable populations. Her current research focuses on the health and well- being of women recently released from incarceration. Colbert received her BA from the University of Arizona, her MSN from The University of Texas at Austin, and her PhD from the University of Pittsburgh. She teaches in the undergraduate and graduate programs, including in the graduate forensic nursing program. She is also active in the American Public Health Association/Public Health Nursing Sec- tion and the International Association of Forensic Nurses and is on the editorial board of the Journal of Forensic Nursing. FN.indb 9 9/24/15 7:10 AM