Registered Nurse (RN) - Forensic Nurse Examiner - St. Vincent Medical Center

Summary Of Primary Function

The Forensic Registered Nurse (RN) is a highly specialized professional who leverages dedicated education and training to deliver comprehensive, trauma-informed nursing care. They operate with increasing independence, utilizing the nursing process, current evidence-based clinical knowledge, and the International Association of Forensic Nursing Scope and Standards of Practice (ANA & IAFN 2016). The core function is to provide professional nursing care for patients across the lifespan who have been affected by crime, unlawful acts, trauma, and intentional or unintentional harm.

Summary Of Primary Function

The Forensic Registered Nurse (RN) is a highly specialized professional who leverages dedicated education and training to deliver comprehensive, trauma-informed nursing care. They operate with increasing independence, utilizing the nursing process, current evidence-based clinical knowledge, and the International Association of Forensic Nursing Scope and Standards of Practice (ANA & IAFN 2016). The core function is to provide professional nursing care for patients across the lifespan who have been affected by crime, unlawful acts, trauma, and intentional or unintentional harm. This role is inherently complex, requiring the integration of knowledge from nursing science, criminal justice, public health, and forensic science. The Forensic Nurse applies a trauma-informed approach to accurately assess the medical-legal needs of these patients, collaborating with the health team to coordinate care, anticipate nursing intervention outcomes, and set criteria for quality care. Crucially, this position demands mobility and adaptability as the RN will travel to and provide services at various hospital facilities within the system to meet patient needs.

Essential Job Functions

• In collaboration with the interdisciplinary care team, conducts initial and ongoing patient assessment, analyzes assessment data, creates a plan of care, implements treatment, and evaluates treatment effectiveness and safety planning throughout the process and at discharge.
• Administers medications in a safe manner, consistent with the State of Practice and Bon Secours Mercy Health policies and procedures
• Serves as point of contact for patients' care coordination throughout hospital departments.
• Collaborates with interdisciplinary teams composed of medical professionals, community and system-based advocates, social services workers, faith community leaders, law enforcement, and legal practitioners.
• Maintains departmental quality assurance through active participation in monthly peer and case reviews, ensuring all forensic documentation and care align with ANA and IAFN (2016) standards.
• Applies the nursing process to assess, diagnose, and treat individuals, families, groups, communities, and populations affected by violence and trauma, through identification, management, and prevention of intentional and unintentional injuries and death.
• Applies nursing practice to the care of individuals across the lifespan and integrates forensic and nursing sciences in the assessment and care of populations affected by physical, psychological, or social violence, trauma, or death including, but not limited to, sexual assault, intimate partner violence, human trafficking, physical abuse, maltreatment, and neglect, elder abuse and vulnerable persons, and violence resulting in injury or death
• Provides episodic care for populations affected by trauma, including those legally defined as victims, suspects, the accused, and perpetrators.
• Acts as a patient safety advocate by participating in ongoing quality improvement in the department.
• Assesses the need for and implements unit-based activities (quality assessment, in-services, etc.).
• Provides education to patients, staff, communities, and populations in the prevention, detection, and treatment of the effects of violence.
• Accepts responsibility and accountability for ethical/legal functioning.
• Facility Travel: Must be available and willing to travel to and provide services at multiple hospital facilities within the system's service area as scheduled or required by patient need.
• BSMH nurses are expected to practice and deliver care in accordance with the core concepts and intention of the BSMH Nursing Professional Practice Model.

Skills

• Assigns patient care according to the nursing skill, knowledge, and scope of practice of staff.
• Orients, facilitates learning experience, and provides education (based upon quality improvement indicators, outcomes, and implementation) to nursing staff and others.
• Possesses clinical knowledge, skills, and competency to provide evidence-based patient care in accordance with the current standards of practice, policy and procedure, and BSMH mission.
• Performs comprehensive assessment of patient's clinical condition and psychosocial needs of the patient and their supportive resources.
• Safely and efficiently develops, implements, and prioritizes plan of care.
• Application of the nursing process in patient care delivery.
• Assesses patient's physical and emotional responses to treatment to evaluate effectiveness of intervention and patient outcomes; revises plan of care accordingly.
• Assists patient and family in coping with patient's illness.
• Collaborates with others in the delivery of coordinated patient care.
• Strong interpersonal and verbal/written communication skills.
• Applies cultural diversity and inclusion principles when caring for patients and their support resources.
• Recognizes own limitations and seeks assistance and acquires information to perform safely.
• Advances personal and professional growth through participation in educational programs, current literature, in-services, and workshops.
• Exhibits professionalism through accountability for own and delegated actions.
• Integrates cost-effective measures into practice and models effective stewardship of available resources.
• Practices self-care and cultivates resilience in conflict and difficult circumstances.
• Proactively manages the impact of vicarious trauma by participating in peer support programs and utilizing organizational resources to maintain personal resilience.
• Protects the safety and privacy of all persons.
• Understanding and utilization of office and clinical technologies.
• Ability to communicate with patients in a manner they can understand considering their personal preferences.
• Compassionate, relationship-based approach to help find meaning in illness, suffering, pain, and existence.
• Remains calm, adaptive, and collective during an emergency.
• Maintains a meticulous and legally defensible chain of custody for all evidence collected, ensuring integrity from the point of collection to transfer to law enforcement.
• Documents relevant information accurately and thoroughly.
• Applies ethical, legal, and privacy guidelines to the collection, maintenance, use, and dissemination of information.
• Demonstrates proficiency in forensic photography and the use of specialized visualization equipment (e.g., Alternate Light Sources) to document non-visible trauma or biological evidence.
• Knowledge of contemporary forensic nursing evidence-based practice, research, and future innovations.
• Evaluation of professional forensic nursing practice to optimize goals and outcomes.
• Identification, collection, and organization of data relevant to forensic nurses.
• Administers, organizes, and coordinates the role of the forensic nurse in programs, systems, and environments where the forensic nurse practices.
• Involvement and influence in internal and external systems where professional and societal regulations of nursing practice affect public health and safety.
• Development, analysis, and implementation of health policy relevant to forensic nurses and patient populations in forensic settings.
• Provision of ethical, safe, evidenced-based, trauma-informed direct patient care related to injury, crime, victimization, violence, abuse, and exploitation.
• Provision of testimony forensic, both fact and expert, in a variety of judicial settings.
• Participates in pre-trial consultations with legal counsel and maintains professional 'curriculum vitae' (CV) and testimony logs to establish expert/fact witness credentials.
• Ability to meet the physical and emotional demands of forensic nursing care.

Licensing/Certification

Current RN license in state they are working or covered by compact (required)

Valid State Driver's License (required)

BLS Basic Life Support (preferred upon hire, required to obtain from an approved source prior to providing direct patient care)

Must Be Willing To Obtain

Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner-Adult/Adolescent (SANE-A) - International Association of Forensic Nurses (IAFN) (obtained in one year)

Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner-Pediatric (SANE-P) - International Association of Forensic Nurses (IAFN) (obtained in one year)

General/Advanced Forensic Nursing Certification (GFN-C)(AFN-C) (obtained in one year)

Education

Bachelor of Science Nursing (Required)

SANE-A Training Course or certification (preferred)

SANE-P Training Course or certification (preferred)

Work Experience

FNCB Training Course of certification (AFN-C, GFN-C, IVSE-C) (Preferred)

2 Years Of RN Experience (required)

Training

International Association of Forensic Nurses (IAFN) didactic training for Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner/Forensic Nursing program (obtained in one year)

Generalist/Advanced Forensic Nursing didactic course (obtained in one year)

Pediatric/Adolescent/Adult Case Review

Patient Population

Demonstrates the knowledge and skills necessary to provide care appropriate to the age of the patients served on his or her assigned unit.

Demonstrates knowledge of the principles of growth and development of the life span and possesses the ability to assess data reflective of the patient's status and interprets the appropriate information needed to identify each patient's requirements relative to his or her age, specific needs and to provide the care needed as described in departmental policies and procedures.

Neonates (0-4 weeks)

Infant (1-12 months)

Pediatrics (1-12 years)

Adolescents (13-17 years)

Adults (18-64 years)

Geriatrics (65 years and older)

Working Conditions

• Periods of high stress and fluctuating workloads may occur
• May be exposed to physical altercations and verbal abuse
• May be required to use physical restraints
• May be exposed to high noise levels and bright lights
• May be exposed to limited hazardous substances or body fluids*
• May be exposed to human blood and other potentially infectious materials*
• May have periods of constant interruptions
• * Individuals in this position are required to exercise universal precautions, use personal protective equipment and devices, and learn the policies concerning infection control.

Hours

• Shift:
• Hours:
• Hours per pay period:
• Weekend, holiday and on-call rotation required per department policy

This document is not an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, skills, duties, requirements, or working conditions associated with the job. Employees may be required to perform other job-related duties as required by their supervisor, subject to reasonable accommodation. As a Mercy Health associate, you're part of a Mission that matters. We support your well-being—personally and professionally. Our benefits are built to grow with you and meet your unique needs, every step of the way.

What We Offer

• Competitive pay, incentives, referral bonuses and 403(b) with employer contributions (when eligible)
• Medical, dental, vision, prescription coverage, HSA/FSA options, life insurance, mental health resources and discounts
• Paid time off, parental and FMLA leave, short- and long-term disability, backup care for children and elders
• Tuition assistance, professional development and continuing education support

Benefits may vary based on the market and employment status.

All applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, genetic information, or protected veteran status, and will not be discriminated against on the basis of disability. If you'd like to view a copy of the affirmative action plan or policy statement for Mercy Health – Youngstown, Ohio or Bon Secours – Franklin, Virginia; Petersburg, Virginia; and Emporia, Virginia, which are Affi... If you are an individual with a disability and would like to request a reasonable accommodation as part of the employment selection process, please contact The Talent Acquisition Team at recruitment