The new forensic nursing exam space. Credit: AdventHealth
AdventHealth Littleton is proud to announce the relaunch of the Forensic Nursing Program, which provides specialized, trauma-informed care to patients who have experienced violence.
For Assistant Nurse Manager Lorna Leader, this work is deeply personal. As a survivor of sexual assault, she remembers undergoing a forensic exam that felt cold and clinical.
“No one told me what I was experiencing, it was so cold and sterile,” Leader said. “I don’t want any patient to experience what I felt. I want them to feel safe and surrounded by care. I want them to understand what’s happening and know they have control.”
Under Leader’s guidance, the forensic nursing team provides care that prioritizes dignity and trust.
The exam space was recently renovated to be warmer, calmer and more peaceful. Nurses walk patients through each step, ask permission and provide choices throughout the exam.
“We give them their power back,” Leader said. “That begins their journey of healing.”
The Forensic Nurse Examiner Program extends to patients experiencing domestic violence, human trafficking, elder and child abuse, and other forms of violence.
The team provides both medical care and forensic documentation, working closely with law enforcement while remaining focused on the patient’s immediate needs.
“This is the worst day of their life. We meet them there, and by the end, you can see a shift. They feel heard. They feel supported. They feel like they’re not alone.”
The impact of that care extends beyond the exam room. Forensic nurses often gather critical information that can support investigations and, in some cases, they are asked to provide expert testimony during a court case.
For Leader, the outcome of a case is secondary to the immediate care provided in the moment.
“I may never know what happens after a patient leaves,” she said. “But I know in that moment, we made a difference.”
The program is meant to be a resource across the hospital, not just in the emergency department. Forensic nurses will support patients of any unit who disclose trauma.
“We’re surrounded by victims every day, you just may not know it,” Leader said. “If we can meet them with compassion and understanding, we can change how they move forward.”
With plans to expand staffing and operate as a fully staffed 24/7 program, AdventHealth Littleton is positioning itself as a leader in forensic care across the region.
“Forensic nursing is the perfect example of whole-person care. We’re helping our patients emotionally and physically, through mind, body and spirit,” Leader said. “This one day doesn’t define who they are. Our job is to help them see that and to walk with them as they start to heal.”
Republished courtesy of AdventHealth