Primary prevention of sexual violence: The role of the forensic nurse

In 2005 the International Association of Forensic Nurses (IAFN) was awarded a Primary Sexual Violence Prevention Grant for Health Care Providers by the Centers for Disease Control. The purpose of the grant was to provide the members of IAFN with tools for instituting primary prevention programs into their nursing practice. IAFN is a professional association that represents more than 2700 forensic nurses. The Forensic Nursing specialty includes nurse death investigators, legal nurse consultants, nurse attorneys, nurses who work in correctional facilities, and nurses who work with victims and perpetrators of violence across the lifespan. The majority of IAFN members are Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners (SANEs). While the forensic work of most IAFN members occurs after patients have experienced violence, the majority of forensic nurses additionally work in various settings where they have access to populations where primary prevention strategies can be implemented. This presentation will discuss how a professional organization can incorporate primary prevention strategies into both the functioning of the organization and the practice of its members. Using as a framework The Spectrum of Prevention developed by Larry Cohen at the Prevention Institute, IAFN has sought to do the following: 1. Identify structures and practices within the organization that promote sexual violence and as an organization change those practices and structures. 2. Provide education to IAFN members about primary prevention. 3. Create a road map for IAFN members that will guide them in creating primary prevention interventions for both their patients and their communities.