Wasatch Forensic Nurses

THE MISSION OF WASATCH FORENSIC NURSES IS TO PROVIDE COMPASSIONATE CARE AND PROFESSIONAL TIMELY COLLECTION OF FORENSIC MEDICAL EVIDENCE AS PART OF A MULTIDISCIPLINARY TEAM.

IN 2021 OUR TEAM PROVIDED SEXUAL ASSAULT FORENSIC MEDICAL EXAMINATIONS TO 882 PATIENTS. IN THE TWO YEARS SINCE EXPANDING OUR SERVICES, OF THOSE 882 PATIENTS 40 OF THEM WERE EVALUATED AND CARE WAS PROVIDED FOR INTERPERSONAL VIOLENCE RELATED ABUSE AND EVIDENCE COLLECTION. WHILE THE PANDEMIC WAS STILL ACTIVE THROUGHOUT 2021, WASATCH FORENSIC NURSES NEVER INTERRUPTED SERVICES TO VICTIMS. OUR TEAM CONTINUED TO ENSURE THAT IF A SURVIVOR REQUESTED AN EXAM OR SERVICES THAT WFN WAS AVAILABLE TO ANSWER THE CALL ANYTIME DAY OR NIGHT. IN 2021, WFN APPLIED FOR AND RECEIVED FEDERAL GRANT FUNDING FROM THE VICTIMS OF CRIME ACT (VAWA) TO HIRE A DEDICATED VICTIM ADVOCATE FOR OUR SANE TEAM. THE VICTIM ADVOCATE PROVIDES AN INTEGRAL PIECE OF THE PUZZLE AFTER OUR NURSES HAVE PROVIDED CARE FOR A SURVIVOR OF SEXUAL ASSAULT OR INTERPERSONAL VIOLENCE. THE VICTIM ADVOCATE'S MAIN FOCUS IS TO FOLLOW UP WITH PATIENTS THAT HAVE COME IN CONTACT WITH WFN. EVEN FOR DECLINED EXAMS, IF WE HAVE A WAY TO REACH THE PATIENT, OUR ADVOCATE WILL FOLLOW UP TO PROVIDE COMMUNITY REFERRALS AND ASSIST THE PATIENT WITH ANY COMMUNITY RESOURCES THEY MAY NEED. SIMILAR TO PATIENTS WHO COMPLETE AN EXAM, OUR ADVOCATE FOLLOWS UP WITHIN A WEEK OF THE EXAM TO ENSURE THE PATIENT HAS THE AFTERCARE THEY MAY NEED, RECEIVES ANSWERS TO ANY QUESTIONS THEY MAY HAVE AND IS ABLE TO EXPRESS ANY NEEDS THAT THE ADVOCATE CAN ASSIST THEM WITH. COMMUNITY REFERRALS, FOLLOW-UP EXAMS AND PROVIDING DIRECT CONTACT TO THE NURSE WHO PERFORMED THEIR EXAM ARE SOME EXAMPLES OF WHAT THE WFN VICTIM ADVOCATE CAN ASSIST PATIENTS WITH. WFN IS THE ONLY SANE TEAM WITHIN THE STATE OF UTAH WHO CURRENTLY PROVIDES THIS DIRECT TYPE OF SERVICE IN CONJUNCTION WITH SANE SERVICES. WE ARE HOPEFUL THAT WE CAN PAVE THE WAY FOR OTHER TEAMS TO HIRE ADVOCATES TO ASSIST SURVIVORS IN THIS WAY. AS PART OF THE VAWA GRANT THAT WFN WAS AWARDED, IT ALLOWED US TO CONTINUE TO HAVE RESOURCE NURSES (NURSES ON OUR TEAM WHO ASSIST OUR TEAM AND OTHER TEAMS THROUGHOUT THE STATE) AVAILABLE 24 HOURS-A-DAY, 365 DAYS-A-YEAR TO ASSIST OUR NURSES WHEN THEY ARE RESPONDING ON CASES AND HAVE QUESTIONS THAT COME UP DURING THE EXAM. OUR RESOURCE NURSE TEAM IS COMPRISED OF THREE OF OUR MOST EXPERIENCED NURSES ON THE TEAM. COLLECTIVELY BETWEEN THE THREE OF THEM THEY HAVE OVER 40 YEARS OF SANE EXPERIENCE. THEY ARE CONSIDERED EXPERTS IN THIS FIELD OF WORK. OUR RESOURCE NURSES ALSO PROVIDE ASSISTANCE TO OTHER SANE TEAMS AND LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES THROUGHOUT THE STATE OF UTAH WHO NEED ASSISTANCE WITH A DATABASE CALLED FEMR (FORENSIC ELECTRONIC MEDICAL RECORD). IN 2021 OUR RESOURCE NURSES ASSISTED OVER 30 DIFFERENT LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES AND SANE TEAMS WITH FEMR RELATED ISSUES. WFN PARTNERED WITH UCASA (UTAH COALITION AGAINST SEXUAL ASSAULT) TO EDUCATE OUR NURSES REGARDING UCASA'S PROMATHORA PROGRAM. UCASA VISITED OUR TEAM AT ONE OF OUR MONTHLY TRAININGS TO PROVIDE INSIGHT INTO THE INNER WORKINGS OF THE LATIN-X COMMUNITY AND TO EDUCATE OUR TEAM REGARDING THE EXPERIENCES OF LATIN-X INDIVIDUALS AND HOW OUR NURSES CAN TAKE A VICTIM-CENTERED, TRAUMA INFORMED LENS TO VIEW THE EXPERIENCES OF THESE INDIVIDUALS AND HOW BEST TO ASSIST THEM WHEN THEY ARE PROVIDING CARE TO THEM DURING AN EXAM. OUR TEAM IS ALWAYS OPEN TO INVITING EXPERTS IN THE FIELD TO EDUCATE US ON HOW WE CAN CONTINUE TO TREAT ALL INDIVIDUALS WHO EXPERIENCE VIOLENCE WITH EQUITY, DIGNITY AND COMPASSION. WFN IS COMMITTED TO SUPPORTING SOCIAL JUSTICE AND REJECTING ALL FORMS OF DISCRIMINATION, RACISM AND VIOLENCE. PARTNERING WITH UCASA TO RECEIVE INFORMATION AND INNOVATIVE TRAINING REGARDING THIS POPULATION EQUIPPED OUR NURSES WITH ADDITIONAL TOOLS THEY CAN UTILIZE TO ASSIST NOT ONLY VICTIMS OF THIS SPECIFIC POPULATION BUT OTHERS ALSO. THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC HAS RAVAGED THE HEALTHCARE INDUSTRY. AS A RESULT, HOSPITALS AND OTHER HEALTHCARE RELATED AGENCIES SAW A MASS EXODUS OF EMPLOYEES (NURSES AND DOCTORS) AND FOUND THEMSELVES WITH STAFFING SHORTAGES. IN 2021, WFN WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN A STAFF OF QUALIFIED NURSES WHO MAINTAIN A CALL SCHEDULE WHERE OUR NURSES REMAINED AVAILABLE 24 HOURS- A-DAY, SEVEN DAYS-A-WEEK, 365 DAYS-A-YEAR. OUR DEDICATED TEAM OF MOBILE NURSES CONTINUED TO TRAVEL TO THE 24 HOSPITALS AND CLINICS WITHIN OUR SERVICE AREA AND COLLABORATIVELY COMMUNICATE WITH OVER 40 LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES THROUGHOUT SALT LAKE, UTAH, SUMMIT AND WASATCH COUNTIES. OUR NURSES, ADVOCATE AND ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF PRIORITIZED PATIENT CARE, AVAILABILITY, AND ON-CALL STATUS OF OUR NURSES AS PRIORITY NUMBER ONE EVEN WITH THE PANDEMIC CONTINUING THROUGHOUT 2021. OUR TEAM WAS AND REMAINS DEDICATED TO BEING AVAILABLE ANYTIME A VICTIM REQUESTS AN EXAM, DAY OR NIGHT AND WE ARE PROUD TO PROVIDE SERVICES AT NO COST TO VICTIMS WHEN SERVICES ARE NECESSARY. PANDEMIC OR NOT, WFN HAS PROVIDED UNINTERRUPTED SERVICES TO PATIENTS REQUIRING CARE IN OUR SPECIALIZED AREA, THUS FREEING UP MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS IN THE HOSPITAL SETTING TO BE ABLE TO CARE FOR PANDEMIC PATIENTS AND OTHER EMERGENT CASES ENTERING THE ED. THE MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS IN THE HOSPITALS AND CLINICS WE SERVE NEVER HESITATED TO LET US ENTER AND ASSIST BECAUSE IN SOME INSTANCES THEY WERE OVERWHELMED WITH PANDEMIC PATIENTS AND EMERGENCY CASES AND OUR TEAM OF SPECIALIZED NURSES WERE AVAILABLE, EQUIPPED (WE OUTFITTED OUR NURSES WITH ADDITIONAL PPE) AND PREPARED TO CARE FOR VICTIMS OF SEXUAL AND INTERPERSONAL VIOLENCE. OUR NURSES CONTINUED PROVIDING QUALITY CARE, MAINTAINED RESPONSE TIMES OF UNDER ONE HOUR AND ALLOWED ONE-ON-ONE FOCUSED CARE TO CONTINUE, WITH MOST OF OUR NURSES SPENDING THREE TO FOUR HOURS PROVIDING DIRECT PATIENT CARE. TRAINING COMMUNITY PARTNERS, NURSES AND ADVOCATES THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY HAS ALWAYS BEEN AND CONTINUES TO BE A SECONDARY PRIORITY FOR WFN. OUR NURSES OFFER COMMUNITY TRAININGS WHEN REQUESTED. OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT LIAISON NURSE PERSONALLY VISITED ALL 40 OF OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT PARTNERS TO EXPRESS OUR APPRECIATION AND TO BUILD RAPPORT AND TRAINING TO DISPATCHERS, LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS, DETECTIVES, SERGEANTS AND LIEUTENANTS OF MANY AGENCIES. WE HAVE THREE HOSPITAL LIAISONS THAT ARE NURSES THAT FOSTERED RELATIONSHIPS AND INITIATED TRAININGS WITH THE 24 HOSPITALS AND CLINICS WE WORK WITH. WHILE COVID HAS MADE IT DIFFICULT TO ENTER HOSPITALS FOR TRAINING, E-MAILS AND PERSONAL VISITS TO EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT HEADS WERE MADE WITH EACH OF OUR HOSPITAL PARTNERS. BECAUSE OF THE OPEN COMMUNICATION WE HAVE WITH EACH OF THE COMMUNITY AGENCIES WE WORK WITH, BE IT UNIVERSITIES, VICTIM ADVOCATES, HOSPITALS, LAW ENFORCEMENT, PROSECUTORS, ETC. OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS ARE A CORNERSTONE OF OUR SUCCESS AND WE WILL CONTINUE THE COLLABORATIVE RELATIONSHIPS WITH OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS. WFN HOSTED SIX PRECEPTEES IN 2021. THESE PRECEPTEES WERE NURSES FROM RURAL COMMUNITIES WHO VISITED US FOR THREE DAYS IN ORDER TO TRAIN AND RECEIVE A HIGH NUMBER OF CALLS SO THEY CAN TAKE BACK THEIR EXPERIENCE AND KNOWLEDGE TO THEIR TEAMS. WE CONTINUED TO PARTNER WITH UCASA IN 2021 VIA VICTIM OF CRIME ACT (VOCA) FUNDING TO BRING THESE NURSES FROM OTHER TEAMS TO RECEIVE TRAINING. BECAUSE THERE'S BEEN A SHORTAGE OF NURSES, SANE TEAMS HAVE STRUGGLES TO ALLOW NURSES TO COME TRAIN FOR THREE DAYS. IT IS A BURDEN ON THEIR COMMUNITIES, HOSPITALS AND SANE TEAMS TO LOSE A HEALTHY NURSE TO TRAIN, WHEN THEY ARE SO DESPERATELY NEEDED IN THEIR COMMUNITIES. BECAUSE OF THIS, WFN ALTERED THE NUMBER OF TRAINING DAYS REQUIRED, WORKED DIRECTLY WITH TEAMS TO ALLOW THEM TO SEND INDIVIDUALS WHEN THEY WERE AVAILABLE, ALLOWED TEAMS TO SEND NURSES FOR THREE DAYS INSTEAD OF FOUR DAYS AND WERE STILL ABLE TO PROVIDE MEANINGFUL TRAINING EXPERIENCES THAT WERE HELPFUL TO THEIR ORGANIZATIONS. IN 2021 WFN SUCCESSFULLY PARTNERED WITH THE STATE OF UTAH DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES TO ALLOW SIX OF OUR NURSES TO ATTEND THE STRANGULATION INSTITUTE'S ADVANCED STRANGULATION TRAINING. SIX OF OUR NURSES ATTENDED THE FIVE-WEEK VIRTUAL COURSE EVERY FRIDAY DURING THE MONTH OF OCTOBER. THEY RECEIVED VALUABLE TRAINING THAT THEY WERE ABLE TO BRING BACK TO OUR TEAM AND SHARE WITH OTHER SANES. OUR ENTIRE TEAM BENEFITTED FROM THE TRAINING AND EXPERTISE THAT OUR SIX NURSES RECEIVED. THE EXPERTISE AND EDUCATION ASSISTED OUR NURSES WITH KNOWLEDGE REGARDING INTERPERSONAL VIOLENCE EXAMS AND STRANGULATION. AT TIMES OUR NURSES ARE CALLED TO TESTIFY AS EXPERTS IN THESE TYPES OF CASES IN COURT AND THE INFORMATION PROVIDED TO ALL OF OUR NURSES FROM THIS TRAINING ALLOWS OUR NURSES TO STAY UP-TO-DATE ON THE MOST RECENT PRACTICES AND MEDICAL FINDINGS INVOLVING THESE TYPES OF CRIME.