DCFNE Nurse Discusses the Daily Demands of Forensic Nursing
Nicole Stahlmann, a DCFNE forensic nurse was recently featured in an article on nurse.com! Here’s an excerpt from the article:
Daily demands of forensic nursing
In forensic nursing, no two patients or cases are the same. “We definitely base our care on the needs of the patient,” Stahlmann said.
Stahlmann also works as a forensic nurse for the District of Columbia Forensic Nurse Examiners. She sees patients at the hospital after they’ve been triaged in the ED and medically cleared.
“Once they are medically cleared, we come in and do our forensic nursing portion of the exam, which is to identify the patient as being there or requesting our services, obtaining their consent to complete the exam,” she said. “I would say their consent is on a continuum throughout the entire portion of the exam because that is what empowers them or gives them back their voice.”
Stahlmann explained they go through basic information, obtaining demographic information, past medical history, health history, medication and allergy information, etc. Then they go into the narrative, which is the hardest part of the exam.
Stahlmann then examines the patient from head to toe, identifying and documenting injuries. She uses a kit to collect evidence from patients who consent.
“It is incredibly tough for the patient to come in and sit through this exam,” she said. “This exam can be anywhere from two to four hours, maybe longer. But it is also tough on the provider. It’s that accumulation of hearing patients’ trauma. It’s vicarious trauma that builds up. But I will say it is absolutely rewarding. You are there with that patient. You are one-on-one with that patient on one of the worst days of their life. But you get to see that transformation and empowerment.”
The forensic nurse arranges for the patient’s needed medications. In the case of the District of Columbia, a patient advocate follows the patient throughout the process, but not all hospitals in the U.S. provide those advocates, Stahlmann said.
Forensic nurses might have to appear in court if the patient decides to report the incident to law enforcement, according to Stahlmann.