forensic nurse - Editor's Letter

There’s nothing more vindicating than widespread validation of one’s competence. Sexual assault nurse examiners (SANEs) got a boost of confidence from a recent study in the Journal of Emergency Nursing showing that evidence kits collected by SANEs provide more effective evidence collection compared with non-SANE-trained nurses and physicians. Cheers to study author and clinical forensic nurse specialist Valerie Sievers, MSN, RN, CNS, CEN, SANE-A, for pointing out what savvy crime lab directors have figured out — nurses know their stuff! Sievers reports that when crime analysts with the Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI) completed audits on sexual assault evidence kits, those collected by SANEs were more accurate and complete.

Sievers and co-author Sherry Murphy, a criminal investigator with the CBI, pointed out that these kits are more likely to have a completed chain of custody (92 percent) compared with non SANE-collected kits (81 percent); to have properly sealed specimen envelopes (91 percent vs. 75 percent); to have labeled the specimen envelopes (95 percent vs. 88 percent), and to have included the appropriate number of blood tubes (95 percent vs. 80 percent).

Murphy says, “DNA analysis of the oral swabs in one specific case resulted in limited interpretation. The anal swabs gave no profile. However, the SANE had also collected swabs from the victim’s chin. That sample was the only one that provided a complete, non-mixture profile of the suspect. The suspect pled guilty upon admission of the test results. This meant that there was not only a conviction, but the victim did not have to testify in court. The defendant in this case was sentenced to 48 years in the Department of Corrections. We have come to expect top-quality collection of samples from the SANEs in Colorado and are rarely, if ever, disappointed.”

Sievers says that additional research is needed to document the expertise and value of SANE programs. “Despite the growth of SANE programs in Colorado and across the country, more needs to be done to evaluate the impact of forensic nursing in the areas of healthcare and criminal justice. It isn’t enough to say that SANE programs make a difference — we need to illustrate that fact in order to secure funding, promote forensic education and ensure a comprehensive healthcare response to victims of crime and interpersonal violence.”

Kudos to advanced practice nurses who are going the extra mile to train as SANEs and use their unique skills to help advance forensic nursing, expedite the lab-analysis process, and contribute to the overall success of the medico-legal process.

Advancing the frontiers of the forensic nursing community,