Forensic Nurse Examiner

SUMMARY

Under limited supervision, the Forensic Nurse Examiner (FNE) provides patient care to adults, adolescents, and children who have been impacted by sexual assault/abuse, child maltreatment, intimate partner violence, elder abuse, strangulation, or other related forensic issues. The FNE team provides compassionate, culturally sensitive and comprehensive assessments, evidence collections, chains of custody and documentation of forensic patients. The FNE collaborates with law enforcement, child and elderly advocacy programs to meet the needs of each individual patient and is also responsible for testifying as an expert witness in the court of law;

providing education/outreach to the community at large, interfacing with medical professionals, law enforcement agencies, criminal justice, victim advocacy and external support agencies that provide services to victims of crime and violence.

This job has no supervisory responsibility.

• Graduate of an accredited school of nursing.
• Currently licensed as an RN in the State of Maryland.
• Minimum 2 years experience in emergency medicine and/or maternal/child health.
• Certification by the Maryland Board of Nursing as a Forensic Nurse Examiner (FNE), Forensic Nurse Examiner – Adolescent/Adult (FNE-A) and Forensic Nurse Examiner Pediatric (FNE-P) required within 6 months of hire.
• BLS and ACLS required.

The new hire or transfer employee will remain within this job category for a probationary period of six months. With a satisfactory criteria‑based performance evaluation, the employee will advance to a regular status employee. If the evaluation is not satisfactory, the employee may be terminated.

• Ensure confidentiality and rights of all patient and departmental documents.

• Read, analyze, and interpret physician’s orders and other written communications.
• Respond to customer inquiries or those of other members of the healthcare team.
• Read and interpret age‑specific data regarding patient conditions.
• Communicate patient and family education in an age‑appropriate context in spoken English.

• Work with mathematical concepts in the preparation of medications, intravenous drips and other therapeutic interventions.

• Identify problems, collect data, establish facts regarding the patient/family condition, and prioritize the needs of the patient and family.

• Registered Nurse license in the State of Maryland.
• BLS certification.
• ACLS required.
• Certification by the Maryland Board of Nursing as a Forensic Nurse Examiner (FNE), Forensic Nurse Examiner – Adolescent/Adult (FNE-A) and Forensic Nurse Examiner Pediatric (FNE-P) required within 6 months of hire.

Work in a clean, well‑lit environment. The job requires pushing and pulling and lifting of equipment weighing in excess of 35 pounds up to 40% of the time. Requires lifting and positioning of patients weighing up to 300 pounds, with the assistance of other staff members, up to 60% of the time. The position requires walking and standing 60% of the time, and handling supplies and other items.

Potential exposure to blood borne pathogens and infectious disease.