Center Of Excellence In Forensic Nursing Celebrates Five Years Of Impact

Review the accomplishments and accomplishments for the Texas A&M Health Center in Forensic Nursing, and you’d think it’s been 20 years. Officially, it’s only been a quarter of that.

The center recently hosted local and state elected officials, community leaders and other supporters to commemorate five years as a Texas A&M University System of Regents-approved center. The event also served as an unofficial grand opening of the agency’s new headquarters in Bryan, which includes more offices, educational space and clinical simulation capabilities.

So how did that center become a national nursing center in such a short period of time?

“Everything at the center can be traced back to our commitment to providing care for people affected by violence and disaster,” said Stacey Mitchell, the center’s founder and a professor of medicine at the University of Texas. A&M. A nurse.

To fill a need

About a decade ago, Texas was dealing with a shortage of health care professionals, which is especially critical in rural areas of the state. It allocated funds to the College of Nursing to develop graduate and comprehensive programs in forensic nursing. This operation is designed to provide care to people experiencing depression, abuse, neglect and violence.

The college started functioning. In 2017, it had already published a certificate in forensic health. A year later, it offered a Master of Science in Nursing with a concentration in forensic nursing.

A comprehensive outreach and training plan was in place alongside the educational programs. The Texas Attorney General’s Office in 2017 selected the college to run its sexual assault nurse (SANE) certification program and handle other health care projects. A common entry point in health care facilities, SANEs are trained to care for survivors of sexual abuse.

“There was no blueprint for how we could do this, so we designed our own,” said Mitchell. “We pride ourselves on maintaining high standards and seeking the best clinical nursing professionals to ensure our students are better equipped to care for patients in need at a critical time.”

With infrastructure, the college’s leaders applied to become an institution approved by the Board of Regents, which requires externally supported research and education that “goes beyond individual interests.” or one department or one unit.” Chancellor John Sharp recommended and the board approved the establishment of the institute to operate within the college in the fall of 2019.

Creating a budget

The institute’s continuing education program is known for guiding nurses to obtain SANE certification and providing unique opportunities to learn about forensic health care. Many courses are offered online, while others require students to visit a simulated facility. Recently, the center began providing education through its mobile simulator, a specially designed recreational vehicle that tours rural areas.

Courses include a mock testimony experience that prepares SANEs to testify in court, a medical photography bootcamp for documenting injuries, human trafficking response and more.

Each year, the center offers more than 20,000 hours of continuing education. There were approximately 3,000 people who attended continuing education opportunities in the 2023-2024 academic year alone.

In addition to serving as the national provider of SANE training, the agency is contracted by the Indian Health Service (IHS), a federal agency that provides health care to Native Americans and Alaska Natives, to provide education in forensic health in IHS providers.

“I believe the institute represents the standard of forensic nursing” said Leann Horsley, dean of the college. “The proof is in the government and national support that the center has received, but the human first philosophy is the basis of all the activities of the center.”

Nurse technicians

The facility includes technology, according to Mitchell.

“Technology allows us to increase our reach,” he said. “Whether through our continuing education programs or efforts that directly affect patients, we can make Texas and the nation smaller by insisting on improvement.”

The Texas Teleforensic Remote Assistance Center (Tex-TRAC) uses specially designed teleforensic devices that run proprietary software in rural hospitals, connecting them to SANEs to conduct sexual assault assessments. About 20 SANEs from this center are on call 24 hours a day to help nurses in more than a dozen centers to help their patients.

You may even see students using virtual reality headsets to perform forensic examinations, a unique nursing experience at the facility. Created in collaboration with the Texas A&M College of Performance, Visualization & Fine Arts, the virtual environment is a safe place for nurses to hone their skills before seeing real patients.

The Texas Evidence Collection Protocol, a standard guide for state health and law enforcement officials in responding to sexual assault, will soon transition from a roughly 130-page document to an active website . Another digital project is a document archive for junior nursing programs.

More access

With a team of close to 20, the agency aims to serve more people in the country and the world. It wants to strengthen research efforts and explore ways to use its digital offerings, including Tex-TRAC and virtual reality, to more partners and universities.

The college is preparing to introduce a Bachelor of Science in Nursing to Doctor of Nursing Practice program with forensic nursing practice, infusing the field with the necessary expertise.

“We are very proud of what our small but influential agency has accomplished,” Mitchell said. “But we’re equally grateful that we’ve had a positive impact on the community we serve.”

For more information, visit forensic-nursing.tamu.edu.