Indiana ENA Forensic Nursing Committee

Team Award

Recognizes a group or committee that has made a significant contribution toward achieving ENA’s mission to advance excellence in emergency care through the development of a sustainable project or program. The Indiana ENA Forensic Nursing Committee, which typically includes between 20 and 30 nurses, has helped improve the state’s capacity to address strangulation cases by fostering a more informed and coordinated response across health care and legal systems. Committee members have taught medical and legal aspects of strangulation and trial preparation courses throughout the state. By encompassing a comprehensive examination and having established guidelines, significant accomplishments have been made in this training using a multidisciplinary approach which includes prosecutors, law enforcement, forensic nurses and advocates. The committee also helped establish the State of Indiana Guidelines for the Medical Forensic Examination of Adult and Adolescent Sexual Assault Patients. The formalization of these guidelines ensures a consistent and evidence-based approach to victim care and prosecution, marking a substantial advancement in victim advocacy and justice. It ensures uniformity in response, investigation, and prosecution to minimize discrepancies that can hinder victim recovery. This fosters a coordinated approach that prioritizes victim support and evidence preservation. The committee is currently working toward bringing drug-facilitated sexual assault education to Indiana prosecutors, law enforcement, advocates and forensic nurses.