By JOHN MARTINEZ
Harris County Hospital District
A new program at the Harris County
Hospital District is employing the skills of specially trained
registered nurses who provide care to crime victims, and gather and
document crime-scene evidence and help police with investigations.
The new program, known as forensic
nursing, is headed by Stacey Mitchell, who before joining the hospital
district created a forensic nursing program at the Harris County
Medical Examiner’s Office.
"It’s a little like CSI (the popular
crime scene investigation television series) – in that we’re constantly
looking for clues – but without all of the TV drama," Mitchell said.
Forensic nursing was initiated in
December at Lyndon B. Johnson General Hospital to aid patients of
violence, abuse and neglect. A staff of three forensic nurses provide
immediate crisis counseling and gather evidence. This includes
detailing injuries, taking photos, and securing hair and specimen
samples.
"We want to make sure we collect as much
information as possible to be used by the district attorney and
police," Mitchell said, adding that forensic nurses have the ability to
testify as expert witnesses in courts of law.
Patients receive one-on-one assistance throughout their visit.
"Victims come into our hospital so we
can take care of their health care needs, and we do. But we’re also
looking at the big picture by helping with police investigations," said
Martha Stancil, nursing director of the emergency center at LBJ
Hospital, and proponent of the program.
The hospital district’s forensic nursing
program is burgeoning. In fact, five more nurses will soon join the
forensic team as it expands later this year to Ben Taub General
Hospital and the district’s neighborhood health centers.
john_martinez@hchd.tmc.edu