I’m in Nashville, TN today for what I anticipate will be some great conversation on issues such as medical testimony and sustainability. Travel always gives me a time to catch up on some reading (I try very hard not to work on planes–this is one self-care activity that I’m pretty good at. Working in airports is another matter altogether.), so here’s a diverse lineup of articles I’ve been perusing since last we spoke:
The immense frustration I feel at this story of one southern governor who feels that anti-violence programs don’t need a line item in the Department of Health’s budget because sexual and domestic violence programs “distract” from the public health mission is difficult to articulate…
Can a Stitch in Time Save Nine?
Just a reminder that the next IAFN webinar in the 2012 series is coming up July 25th from 2-3:15pm. Child Sexual Abuse Exams: Intepreting Acute and Chronic Physical Findings is going to be presented by one of my favorite peds people, Dr. Marie Marino, current IAFN Board member and Past-President. Cost is $15/member ($30/non-members) and will net you 1 CEU.
I know I’m not alone in saying that this heat wave that so many of us have been experiencing has been pretty brutal. While the oppressive temps seem to be breaking a bit, there hasn’t been much motivation to leave the confines of my air conditioned row house for the past week. Much of the reading I did this weekend was about weather, but there were a few FHO-type news items to draw my attention:
Endgame
Yesterday, Fresh Air featured the upcoming Frontline documentary, Endgame: AIDS in Black America, which made me realize I needed to remind FHO readers that we have a clinical guide, updated last night, on this issue. Add to this a question on nPEP I received yesterday, along with the newly approved HIV home testing kit, and the timing just seemed right.
The Defense Centers of Excellence have a couple recent podcasts that may be of interest to FHO readers. The first is a podcast on military sexual trauma, which specifically looks at the research in this article. The other is a podcast from the recent webinar, Intimate Partner Violence: What Healthcare Providers Need to Know.
Yesterday, on my personal Facebook page I posted this link, Talking to Kids About Social Media and Sexting (AAP), which prompted one FHO reader to ask about other social media and general Internet usage guides for parents and providers working with kids. I have several links in my library, so click through to check out some other good resources on this topic. See also an earlier related FHO posts here.
I didn’t get a whole lot of reading done this weekend, since this happened, so I don’t have quite as much to report, Since Last We Spoke:
The Texas Association Against Sexual Assault is hosting a webinar, The Commercial Sexual Exploitation of American Minors. The session will be held July 10th from 10-11:30 am CDT. Participation is limited, so if you’re interested in this one, you’ll want to register ASAP.
Here’s what I love–1.) this month’s Articles of Note is full of amazing stuff to choose from; and 2.) there are many forensic nurses (and subscribers to this site from both the US and Canada) among the authors of the articles listed this month. And one more thing about point #2: not all of those forensic nurses have PhDs. So for those of you who feel like you can’t write because you didn’t go to graduate school, I would like to point out that this isn’t true–the literature needs our PhD’d research colleagues, and *also* the expert clinicians, whatever their educational credentials, contributing to the science (see this editorial for a good example of what you might consider writing). So once again, it’s time for our monthly roundup of articles that have caught my attention. Remember, this is not an exhaustive list of what’s new in the literature, but it should give you a good place to start. Links lead to abstracts unless full-text is noted.

Yesterday I took a couple hours off work and, with my almost 11 year old daughter in tow, headed down to the Capitol for the VAWA rally. (You can see the pictures at the FHO Flickr stream.) I had intended to write up my thoughts on the rally, but my daughter had so much to say about it, I figured I’d let you hear it from her. So click through to read about Julia’s impressions, almost entirely unedited (save for some comical spelling errors). I hope you enjoy it.

[Ed: Again, we welcome back Jen Pierce-Weeks with the 2nd part of her 10 Things guest post. If you didn’t get a chance to read Part One, you can find it here.]
Ten Things Clinical Forensic Nursing Staff Can Do To Improve Their Programs
Everything regarding program management interestingly enough does not lie with management. Much of a program’s success or failure can be attributed to its staff. With that in mind, the ten things listed below may be able to help staff in evaluating how they can improve their program.

[Ed: This week we forgo our usual Monday column for a 10 Things guest post from our friend Jen Pierce-Weeks. It’s actually a two-parter, so be sure to check in again tomorrow for the follow-up, which will assuredly be no less thought provoking. And as always, feel free to add your contributions in the comments suggestion–I’m certain some of you have a few words of wisdom on this topic to share.]
Ten Things to Consider in Managing a Clinical Forensic Nursing Program
I should preface this post with my thoughts prior to writing it. For starters, I personally miss the “Ten Things” section of this web site. So this is my contribution to its return. Second, recently I have found myself fielding phone calls, emails and general questions that all point in the direction of program management. I hope this can be helpful in some way to your own program’s success.
Giveaway Winner (At Last!)
Remember that giveaway last month? Took awhile, but I just heard back from STM Learning and they have chosen our winner. Congratulations, Theresa Ressler! You’re the recipient of the Sexual Assault 2-Volume Set. Please contact me with your mailing address so we can get you your books.
PREA 101
The National PREA (Prison Rape Elimination Act) Resource Center is hosting 2 webinars on June 25th. The 1st will be held from 12-1:30 pm ET–PREA 101 Webinar Series: Adult Prisons. From 2-3:30 pm ET will be Jails and Lockups. Although the registration form says registration closes today, the advertisement specifically says people can register up until the webinar begins. However, if you are unable to attend, the content of both will be archived and available for later viewing (there are already many there).
The 2nd in IAFN’s 2012 webinar series will be held July 10th at 11am ET. Suicide Investigation: Methods, Notes and More will be presented by Bobbi Jo O’Neal, a forensic nurse death investigator many of you have probably heard speak in the past. Cost is $15/members ($30/non-members) and nets you 1 CEU for your time.
1 is 2 Many PSA
Talk of the Nation on NPR had a segment today on the secrecy often surrounding childhood sexual abuse. Among the guests was Dr. David Lisak who many of you know from his work on undetected rapists. Listen to the podcast or read the full transcript here.
The US Department of State released the 2012 Trafficking in Persons Report yesterday. You can read the full report here. You can also watch Secretary of State Clinton’s remarks on the unveiling of the report.