CFN flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Forensic nursing definition

The application of nursing science to public or legal proceedings, integrating clinical care with the legal system for victims, offenders, and communities.

Chain of custody

Chronological record of every transfer and storage location of evidence, with signatures, dates, and times, used to establish integrity for legal admissibility.

SANE

Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner: a specially trained nurse who provides medical forensic examinations, injury documentation, and evidence collection for patients reporting sexual assault.

Medical forensic examination

Structured examination combining medical assessment, injury documentation, evidence collection, and aftercare for patients following violence, with consent obtained for each step.

Paper packaging rule

Biological evidence must air-dry and be packaged in paper, not plastic, to prevent moisture that promotes bacterial growth and degrades DNA.

Trauma-informed care principles

Safety, trustworthiness, peer support, collaboration, empowerment and choice, and cultural humility, designed to avoid re-traumatization and support survivor control.

PTSD diagnostic threshold

Posttraumatic stress disorder requires symptoms persisting more than one month after trauma exposure, with clinically significant distress or functional impairment.

Acute stress reaction

Trauma-related symptoms occurring within the first month after an event; if symptoms persist beyond one month with impairment, PTSD should be considered.

Consent and capacity

Valid consent requires capacity, voluntariness, disclosure of risks and alternatives, and comprehension; incapacitation from substances or injury negates consent.

Strangulation lethality marker

Nonfatal strangulation is a strong predictor of future lethal violence; assess voice change, dysphagia, breathing difficulty, and neck pain even without visible marks.

Danger assessment

A structured tool estimating risk of intimate partner homicide or severe violence, used with clinical judgment to guide safety planning and referral.

Elder abuse categories

Physical, sexual, emotional, financial exploitation, and neglect of older or dependent adults; assess unexplained injuries, dehydration, poor hygiene, and financial irregularities.

Manner of death

Classification of how death occurred: natural, accident, homicide, suicide, or undetermined; distinct from cause and mechanism of death.

Cause versus mechanism

Cause is the disease or injury producing death; mechanism is the physiologic derangement, such as hemorrhage or arrhythmia, leading to death.

Rigor mortis

Postmortem stiffening from ATP depletion in muscle, beginning in small muscles and progressing; timing is influenced by temperature and body habitus.

Reportable death

A death that must be reported to the medical examiner or coroner, including suspected homicide, suicide, accident, unexplained, unattended, or in-custody deaths.

Mandatory reporting

Legal obligation to report suspected abuse, neglect, or certain injuries to designated authorities; scope and thresholds vary by jurisdiction and patient characteristics.

HIPAA disclosure limits

Protected health information may be disclosed for treatment, payment, and operations or under legal exceptions; law enforcement disclosures generally require authorization or legal process.

Informed consent elements

Capacity, disclosure of risks, benefits, and alternatives, voluntariness, and comprehension; consent must be documented and may be withdrawn at any time.

Spoliation of evidence

Loss, alteration, or destruction of evidence that can harm a legal case and create legal exposure; proper chain of custody and storage prevent it.

Duty to warn

A legal obligation, recognized in some jurisdictions, to protect identifiable third parties from a patient's credible threat of serious violence, often by notifying authorities.

Suicide risk assessment

Direct inquiry about ideation, plan, intent, means, and prior attempts, combined with validated screening tools; no-harm contracts are not a substitute.

Medical causes of agitation

Hypoglycemia, hypoxia, head injury, sepsis, and delirium can present as agitation and must be ruled out before attributing behavior to psychiatric illness.

De-escalation first

Initial approach to behavioral crisis using reduced stimulation, safe distance, calm communication, and offered choices; restraints require legal authority and monitoring.

Lay witness testimony

Testimony limited to facts and observations personally perceived; lay witnesses generally may not offer expert opinions about cause, injury mechanism, or standards of care.

Expert witness testimony

Opinion testimony permitted when the witness is qualified by knowledge, skill, experience, training, or education and the testimony is reliable and relevant.

MDT model

Multidisciplinary team coordination, often at child advocacy centers, aligning law enforcement, medical, social work, and advocacy roles while respecting confidentiality rules.

Documentation for testimony

Contemporaneous, objective, complete records support credibility on the stand; document observations, quotations, interventions, and chain of custody without speculation.

Role clarity

Explicit definition of each team member's responsibilities and limits, preventing duplication and gaps and ensuring matters outside scope are referred appropriately.

Trace evidence

Small physical materials such as hair, fibers, glass, soil, or debris collected and packaged separately in paper to preserve integrity for laboratory analysis.

Universal trauma precautions

Routine practices applied to all patients, assuming possible trauma history: explain steps, ask permission before touch, offer choices, and ensure privacy.

Safety planning

Collaborative plan identifying emergency contacts, documents, exit routes, and resources, developed with the survivor to reduce risk during and after violence.