Opportunities to preserve forensic evidence in emergency departments.
Victims of violence often seek assistance from emergency departments, so emergency nurses are ideally placed to identify them, and other 'forensic' patients, and protect the evidence that could support any ensuing legal process. Emergency nurses who are trained to identify, collect and preserve forensic evidence can support the identification, elimination and prosecution of suspects. This article gives an overview of forensic evidence, and explains how emergency nurses can preserve and collect samples effectively.
Leeds Community Healthcare NHS Trust, Police Custody Healthcare, Wetherby Health Centre, Wetherby.
Matthew
M
Peel
D016529:Emergency Nursing / Q000592:standards*; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000592:standards*; D053604:Forensic Nursing / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D024802:Nurse's Role; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D014754:Violence
emergency nursing; evidence; forensic nurse examiner; forensic science; samples; sexual assault