What about the evidence? Caring for victims and perpetrators of crime in the ED

Background: Patients presenting to the emergency department can be a victim or perpetrator of crime. This information may be known, or determined after care for the patient has started. Beyond the immediate health care for the patient, what is the responsibility of the emergency nurse to recognize and report crimes, preserve evidence, and liaise with local law enforcement? Objectives: 1. Review the types of crimes that the emergency patient may have experienced or perpetrated. 2. Recognize the role of the emergency room nurse in identifying and preserving evidence. 3. Understand how to collaborate with non-healthcare agencies that support victims and perpetrators of crime. 4. Review specific case studies. 5. Documentation “dos and donts”. Methods: Results: Implications and lessons learned: Emergency room nurses often hesitate to care for patients involved in the criminal justice system. This presentation will identify specific scenarios and support learning how to respond and interact appropriately. Specific scenarios will review patients who have been sexually assaulted, experienced domestic violence or child maltreatment, been involved in motor vehicle crashes, shootings, stabbings, or other traumas. Discussion will include supports available for nurses who may be called as witnesses and best practices for documentation.