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Off to Korea

Well my friends, I’m off to Korea. I’ll be teaching with the Army all next week, and am looking forward to spending time in a country I’ve never visited. I’ll be in Seoul all week, and while I expect I’ll have an internet connection, it’s unclear at this point how reliable it will be. If all goes as planned I will be posting on (close to) my usual schedule. If it’s quiet here, though, you’ll know I was out of luck.

For those of you who’ve been to (or are from) Seoul, feel free to leave me suggestions about what to see, and more importantly, where (and what) to eat. Because there’s nothing I love more than a good meal.

Have a great weekend, and with any luck, I’ll see you back here next week.

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Sexual Assault

Clinical Guide: Sexual Assault Injury

In the course of my work, I was asked by a physician from South America for information about lack of genital injury in sexual assault patients. Based on the work I did for him, I ended up with a fairly lengthy bibliography, which I have subsequently turned into the newest clinical guide on sexual assault anogenital injury. It’s not exhaustive (particularly the peds section, which isn’t my area of specialization), but it’s pretty comprehensive. Of course, if I’ve forgotten anything, please shoot me a note so I can add it to the bibliography.

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DV/IPV Sexual Assault

Request for Assistance

A request from Terry Cintron:

In partial fulfillment of the requirement for a Masters of Science in Nursing Administration and Education through Mountain State University I am currently conducting a content analysis. The content analysis will examine questions on sexual assault interview forms which are used throughout the United States. The primary focus of the analysis will be to assess forms for questions associated with previous sexual assault, domestic violence and childhood sexual assault or abuse. Forms will be compared for question revision and updated information.

In providing the sexual assault interview form the response will remain confidential; no individual, hospital, organization, city or state will be identified. A number will be assigned to each form as a code only for the purpose of indentifying the form. The information generated from the content analysis will assist in the development of future interview forms for victims of sexual assault.

If it is feasible to provide the form please contact me at the email address listed and I will provide either a confidential fax number or my mail address.

If you should have any questions please contact me at the email address provided. Email address: cintrona@shaw.ca. Thank you for your time and consideration.

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DV/IPV

Building Domestic Violence Health Care Responses in Indian Country

This month, the Family Violence Prevention Fund, in collaboration with Mending the Sacred Hoop Technical Assistance Project and Sacred Circle, released a new report, Building Domestic Violence Health Care Responses in Indian Country: A Promising Practices Report. The report “documents dramatic improvements in the health system’s response to domestic violence at Indian, Tribal and Urban health care facilities across the United States…The new report offers a series of recommendations to continue the progress and ensure that many more American Indian/Alaska Native domestic violence victims get the help that they need when they seek medical care at clinics and hospitals.” [reported here]

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Child Abuse

Breast Ironing & the Weekly Wrap-Up

Apologies for missing a post yesterday, but I had a busted router, and therefore, no internet connection. Had I been up and running, I would have brought you this video clip [after the jump], which I find pretty disturbing. As far as things go, I’d say breast ironing, a practice found in Cameroon (in part to theoretically prevent young women from being raped) is right up there with genital mutilation.

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Uncategorized

Physician in Whistle-Blower Case Charged

Last spring I posted on the nurse in TX who had been criminally prosecuted for alerting the medical board about unsafe practices by a physician with whom she worked. She was quickly acquitted by a jury, but she had already been fired by her hospital (as was a second nurse who was also initially charged, but whose charges were dropped). Now there is an interesting follow up in this story.

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Social Determinants of Health

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and Grantmakers in Health are co-sponsoring a free webinar on July 29th at 3pm ET: A New Way to Talk About the Social Determinants of Health. Now before you yawn and move on to something that sounds far more exciting, just stay with me for a sec.

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Uncategorized

Forensic Injury Assessment

The Forensic Nurses’ Society of Canada is sponsoring a free webinar on forensic injury assessment. The webinar will be held September 8th at 11am ET. Preregistration is required.

Categories
DV/IPV Sexual Assault

PreventConnect Newsletter

If you aren’t on the mailing list for CalCASA’s Prevention Connection newsletter, you probably should make that happen. It’s a worthwhile email every time. I was especially enamored with this month’s newlstter because it satisfies the wonkiest parts of me: a podcast with Amanda Hess, whose column, The Sexist you can read at the Washington City Paper (available online for all of you non-DC folks); a research podcast with TK Logan and Jody Raphael on the misuse of rape statistics.

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Child Abuse DV/IPV Elder Abuse/Neglect Sexual Assault

Weekly Wrap-Up & New Report on Anti-LGBTQ Hate Violence

I’m back in the CLE for about a minute, before I head on to DC and then Portland (OR) for the week. Before I go, a couple things worth mentioning. First up is the newly released report on anti-LGBTQ hate violence, published by the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs (PDF). Click here for the short-attention span, media release overview.

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Child Abuse Sexual Assault

Vicarious Trauma

The National Child Protection Training Center is offering a webinar on vicarious trauma Thursday, August 19th at 3pm CT. Registration is $10. From the site: This workshop will address the effects of working with and responding to children who have witnessed and experienced violence, the effects of working with the people whose loved ones have been violated in the most intimate ways, and methods to reduce the risks of vicarious trauma and burnout. Register for the session here.

Categories
DV/IPV Elder Abuse/Neglect Sexual Assault

Sexual and Domestic Violence in Later Life

A couple weeks ago I mentioned that NSVRC had a collection on sexual violence in later life. Now, VAWNet has an expanded collection on sexual and domestic violence in later life that’s worth checking out. Aside from an overview and a look at some of the current research, there are also a variety of training materials available in the collection, and some healthcare specific resources, as well.

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Sexual Assault

New SART Webinars

There are 2 SART-related webinars coming up in the next 6 weeks. One from MNCASA and the other from SAFEta Source. The MNCASA session, Beyond Protocols: How SARTs Can Influence the Justice-Making Process for Sexual Assault Victims/ Survivors, will be held Monday, July 26th at 12pm CT. From the site: The first webinar will focus on the concept of justice making. Specifically, we will: 1.) Explore an understanding of justice-making for victims as a process, rather than just a criminal justice system outcome. 2.) Describe the role that tangible and intangible supports play in the justice-making process–specifically the power of listening generously. 3.) Provide specific examples of how multidisciplinary teams can influence this broader approach to justice-making for sexual assault victims/survivors.

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Uncategorized

Canada

New content on the Canada page. Thanks, Sheila!

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Uncategorized

Weekly Wrap-Up

It’s been a busy, albeit shortened week here at FHO. Here’s what you may have missed:

I’m happily still working in the mountains, as I have been all week. I’ll be enjoying some Mama Bear-Girl Cub time, as it’s just my daughter and me out here together now. We’re here until Wednesday and then it’s back to face some monster travel for the next 6 weeks. In the meantime, I’ll be hitting the trails and gazing at the wildflowers (and grantwriting, of course). I know it’s been sweltering in the east, but it’s a cool, clear 72 degrees in Eagle County. I hope it’s a relaxing and enjoyable weekend for you, too. See you back here Monday.

Categories
Sexual Assault

Clinical Guide: Peer Review, Quality Assurance/Improvement and Competency

The issues of peer review and competency are critical ones in forensic healthcare. Because of the potential legal ramifications of our findings, we have to be confident in our capacity as objective clinicians, and current in our knowledge and approach. Having some type of quality assurance process in place can ensure that we meet the highest practice standards, but implementing such a process can be daunting for many. What follows is a new clinical guide: some tools and resources to help demystify this aspect of practice management. I have also included some QA information related to educators and educational offerings, since that’s also a big part of the quality process. Keep in mind this guide is not comprehensive, merely an introduction to current research and information (everything is from the last 10 years). What’s missing are peer review and clinician competency evaluation policies, so if you have some you’re willing to share publicly, please shoot me an email.

Peer Review (General)

Peer Review for Advanced Practice Nurses: What Does It Really Mean? Briggs L, Heath J (FULL-TEXT). AACN 2005;16(1): 3-15.

Nursing Peer Review: Principles and Practice. Haag-Heitman B, George V (FULL-TEXT). Amer Nurses Today 2011;6(9): 48-53.

The use of peer review in nursing education and clinical practice. Boehm H, Bonnel W. (abstract only). J Nurses Staff Dev. 2010 May- Jun;26(3):108-15.

Chart Review (General)

8 Steps to a Chart Audit for Quality (Family Practice Management)

The Hows and Whys of Chart Audits (online learning module, Duke University Medical Center)

Clinical Documentation Improvement Toolkit (American Health Information Management Association)

Peer/Chart Review for Sexual Assault Exams:

2nd Edition of the National SAFE Protocol: see p. 36

From SAFEta Source:

  1. Chart Audit Tool
  2. Peer Chart and Photodocumentation Form
  3. Peer Review Form
  4. Evidence Kit Evaluation Form

IAFN Webinar on Peer Review (Sue Rotolo and Lisa Gorham)

***Handouts from the webinar

Peer Review and Quality Improvement in Forensic Nursing Practice:

Forensic Nursing Scope and Standards of Practice: Standards of Forensic Nursing Practice Standard 7 (International Association of Forensic Nurses and American Nurses Association 2009–available for purchase)

Quality Assurance and Quality Improvement (General)

What is the difference between quality assurance and quality improvement? (HRSA)

Online module on Quality Improvement (Duke University Medical Center)

Patient Safety and Quality: An Evidence-based Handbook for Nurses (AHRQ, particularly Chapter 44)

Competency

Of clinicians:

2nd Edition National SAFE Protocol: see pp 59-61

Forensic Nursing: Scope and Standards of Practice (available for purchase)

SANE-A/SANE-P Education Guidelines (PLEASE NOTE: CURRENTLY IN REVISIONS)

The SAFE CARE model: Maintaining competency in sexual assault examinations utilizing patient simulation methods. Ferguson CT, Faugno D. (abstract only). J Forensic Nurs. 2009;5(2):109-14.

Enhancing effectiveness in assessing forensic nursing staff competency. Miller PJ. (abstract only). J Forensic Nurs. 2007 Summer;3(2):72-6, 86.

Of educators:

Development of educator competencies and the professional review process. Johnson S. (abstract only). J Nurses Staff Dev. 2002 Mar-Apr;18(2):92-102.

***See also: FHO’s guide on Evaluating SANE Trainers

Of educational courses:

Quality assurance for online nursing courses. Little BB. (abstract only). J Nurs Educ. 2009 Jul;48(7):381-7.

A Quality Assessment of Pediatric Sexual Assault: Pediatric Nurse Training and Care. Gail Hornor, MS, RNC, CPNP, SANE-P (Full Text). On the Edge.

Categories
DV/IPV Sexual Assault

Reproductive Justice & Violence Against Women

I’m a bit late getting this up (pesky vacation!), but since we’re on an article tear here at FHO this week, here’s a compilation worth checking out. VAWNet has a new section on Reproductive Justice and Violence Against Women: Understanding the Intersections. From the site: “Reproductive justice is an analytical framework or theory, a movement, and a practice that works to protect and guarantee women’s rights and the full achievement of human rights. The term “reproductive justice” was claimed and coined by women of color as a result of the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development hosted in Cairo. It integrates reproductive health with social justice and human rights. The term reproductive justice represents a holistic view that acknowledges diverse factors that intersect in multiple ways to affect women and their reproductive rights.”

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Articles of Note Child Abuse DV/IPV Sexual Assault

Articles of Note: July Edition

Time once again for Articles of Note. All of these are from the June/July issues and electronic previews. As always, please keep in mind this in no way a comprehensive list; simply items that have caught my attention from a selection of peer-reviewed journals. Links lead to PubMed abstracts; from there you can choose what’s worth a.) paying for; b.) a pilgrimage to your nearest medical library;  or c.) downloading via the full-text access you possibly have at your disposal.

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Sexual Assault

Follow-Up: Rape in Baltimore

Last week, my friend and colleague, Kim Day, appeared on Baltimore Public Radio to discuss the recent media coverage on sexual assault in Baltimore (you can see the post where it’s referenced here). Listen to the full discussion here. Way to go, Kim!

You can see the full list of discussion participants and a description of the program after the jump.

Categories
DV/IPV

Systems Advocacy Approach to Addressing Domestic Violence in Health Care

The Family Violence Prevention Fund has a webinar scheduled for the end of the month, Building Health Care Leadership: A Systems Advocacy Approach to Addressing Domestic Violence in the Health Care System. It’s scheduled for July 29th, 11-12pm PT. The session is free; register for it here.