PITMAN, N.J. - The International Association of Forensic Nurses (IAFN) will hold its 12th Annual Scientific Assembly in Chicago, Oct. 20-24, .

The conference will offer a wide variety of educational and scientific sessions that provide research-based evidence for forensic nursing practice. Forensic nurses are specially trained licensed healthcare professionals who provide nursing care for victims, survivors, witnesses, suspects, and those convicted of violent crimes against others. Forensic nurses also bridge the gap between the health care and criminal justice systems by collecting and preserving forensic evidence and testifying in the courts of jurisdiction.

The Scientific Assembly will offer a wide variety of topics and workshops for sexual assault nurse examiners (SANEs), domestic violence/death investigators, psychiatric/corrections nurses, legal nurse consultants, and professionals serving in law enforcement, victim advocacy, or related areas.

Six pre-conference sessions will be offered on Oct. 20. One of the sessions will cover “From Crime Scene to Trial: A Quadruple Homicide Case Study” presented by Diana Schunn, director of the Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner/Sexual Assault Response Team Program at Via Christi Regional Medical Center in Wichita, Kan.

On Oct. 21, keynote speaker and filmmaker Angela Shelton will discuss her lifelong journey to overcome childhood molestation and “start a reverse epidemic of healing” for other abuse survivors.

Dr. David Lisak, associate professor of psychology, University of Massachusetts Boston, will present the first general session on Oct. 22. In “The Undetected Rapist,” Lisak will explore how the vast majority of sexual assaults are committed by an offender who is never reported or prosecuted, contrary to the stereotypes created by high-profile cases.

Topics will be presented by internationally known experts and include the following:

Investigating suspicious patient deaths

Forensic nursing and mass casualty response

Domestic/intimate partner violence

Drug-facilitated sexual assault

Abduction of a child by a family member

The forensic nurse’s role as a death investigator

Examining the sexual assault suspect

Case review and slide night: photo displays from interesting cases

Crime scene analysis and offender profiles

Child sexual abuse and courtroom testimony

Evaluating the effectiveness of sexual SANE programs

Certification Course and Exam

On Oct. 21, there will be a SANE-A (Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner- Adult/Adolescent) certification review course to help participants prepare for the SANE-A certification exam. The exam will then be offered on Oct. 25, from 8 a.m. to 12 pm.  Those who would like to sit for the exam should obtain an application by visiting www.iafn.org/certification; calling IAFN at ; or calling C-Net at . All applications must be postmarked by Aug. 28, .

For more information, go to www.iafn.org.

Source: IAFN