Introduction to Forensic Nursing: Principles and Practice

Diana Faugno, a Minnesota native, graduated from the University of North Dakota in 1973 with a degree in nursing and obtained an MSN in 2006. Her professional experience includes nursing in the Medical/Surgical, Labor and Delivery, Pediatrics, and Neonatal Intensive Care departments. Ms. Faugno obtained her certification in pediatric nursing in 1990, began a career as a sexual assault nurse examiner in 1991, and became a certified sexual assault nurse examiner in 2002. She is the former director of Forensic Health Services, which includes a child abuse program, sexual assault team, and a family violence program in North San Diego County. Currently, Ms. Faugno is a board director for End Violence Against Women International. She has made several presentations to the scientific community and has led workshops on sexual assault presented at the American Academy of Science.

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Stacey Mitchell is a clinical associate professor at Texas A&M University College of Nursing. Formerly, she served as the Administrative Director for Risk Management and Patient Safety and Forensic Nursing Services at Harris Health System in Houston, Texas. Dr. Mitchell is a member of the American Nurses Association, the American Society of Healthcare Risk Managers, and the Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society in Nursing. In 2017, Dr. Mitchell was inducted as a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing. She is also a member and former president of the International Association of Forensic Nurses. Dr. Mitchell is a frequent invited speaker at both domestic and international nursing conferences and training seminars, and she is regularly called upon to provide expert testimony regarding forensic nursing, sexual assault, child abuse, child sexual abuse, and trauma.

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Val Sievers is a Forensic Clinical Nurse Specialist with more than 35 years of health care experience as a registered nurse, advanced practice nurse, educator and consultant with extensive practice experience in the arenas of emergency and critical care nursing, academic education and forensic clinical practice.
As a Clinical Nurse Specialist, Val provides advanced education regarding the care and treatment of patients affected by violence and abuse. She is currently dual board certified as an adult-adolescent and pediatric sexual assault nurse examiner, owner of MedLaw Consultants, LLC; a forensic healthcare consulting practice and is a board member of the Academy of Forensic Nursing.

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Sarah Pederson earned her BSN and RN in 2008 and accumulated 7 years of clinical experience as a labor and delivery nurse in Atlanta, GA. She is currently pursuing a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner degree from Georgia State University.

Sarah Pederson obtained her SANE-A and SANE-P and combined this with her experience as a women’s health nurse to provide and coordinate SANE exams for a regional nonprofit. Ms. Pederson is currently serving as the Georgia Statewide SANE coordinator, responsible for SANE program development and advancing SANE capabilities across the state. She has served on the expert committee for the Georgia Statewide Sexual Assault Response Team. She is frequently sought out to provide expert witness testimony in criminal cases involving sexual assault, strangulation, and the neurobiology of trauma.

Sarah Pederson was the recipient of the 2019 Pat Head Dignity Award. The Pat Head Dignity award is given each year to someone in law enforcement, victim services, the community, or who is a legislator that exemplifies the standard of “Doing the Right Thing” when it comes to serving victims of domestic violence and sexual assault.

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Jessica Volz is the Clinical Director of Forensics at Shady Grove Medical Center in Rockville, Maryland. She holds a Doctor of Nursing Practice, Bachelor of Science Degrees in both Nursing and Behavioral Science and is a Nightingale Award winner. She is a family nurse practitioner with a background in critical care and emergency and forensic nursing. She has worked with patients across the lifespan for more than 10 years.  
Dr. Volz currently serves as the chair of the Domestic Violence Special Interest Group for the Academy of Forensic Nursing. She is passionate about growing the forensic nursing discipline and ensuring medical forensic services are more readily available.

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Patricia Speck is an internationally recognized family nurse practitioner who specializes in public health and forensic nursing. She graduated from the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, College of Nursing and later completed her doctoral dissertation on sexual assault program evaluation. As a board certified family nurse practitioner, Patricia’s clinical practice focuses on the health aftermath of violence and her research centers on forensic nursing practice topics. She is a consultant, author, and lecturer on forensic nursing and has earned more than 20 local, national, and international awards and professional honors for her work. Patricia chairs the American Public Health Association’s Family Violence Forum and is a former president of the International Association of Forensic Nurses.

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