Georgia Forensic Nursing Network

02/03/2026

A great weekend working with SART partners educating forensic nurses.

01/27/2026

Strengthen your forensic practice and advance equity in injury assessment.

This focused, skills-based course is designed for Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners and forensic clinicians seeking to enhance accuracy, consistency, and confidence in injury evaluation and documentation across all skin tones. Through case-based examples and evidence-informed strategies, participants will deepen clinical observation skills while learning best practices for:

-Trauma-informed, patient-centered injury assessment
-Recognizing injuries across diverse skin tones
-Optimizing lighting, contrast, and photographic techniques
-Using precise, unbiased descriptive language
-Improving written and photographic forensic documentation
-Reducing misinterpretation and strengthening documentation

Participants will gain practical tools to support equitable, high-quality forensic medical exams and strengthen medicolegal documentation.

Date: February 19
Time: 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM EST
Format: Live Online
Continuing Education: 4 hours CE

Whether you’re an experienced SANE or a forensic clinician looking to refine your skills, this course provides actionable strategies you can apply immediately in practice.

Register now to reserve your spot and elevate your forensic assessment skills.

Registration closes on February 8th and spots are limited.

01/25/2026

What a great Clinical Skills Lab weekend! 🩺✨

Huge gratitude to our phenomenal instructors Laci Smith and Jordan Stroud, dedicated nurses, and incredible community partner who made this experience so impactful. Watching learners build confidence and skills—supported by such a strong, collaborative network—reminds us why this work matters.

Today we celebrate forensic nurses and everyone who stands beside them in expanding access to compassionate, trauma-informed care for survivors. Thank you for showing up, lifting each other up, and strengthening communities.

01/16/2026

01/02/2026

11/18/2025

Dear GFNN & SAFE Network Communities,

I know many of you have had questions about IAFN’s current restructuring and what it means for your training, certification, and continued practice. I want to offer clear guidance and—most importantly—reassurance.

First and foremost: IAFN continues to offer online SANE training and continues to award continuing education (CE) credits for its online educational activities.
Nothing about the organizational restructuring changes the validity, quality, or rigor of the educational programs you have already completed.

Your training remains valid. Your certification remains valid.
The restructuring does not invalidate any IAFN-provided training or certifications earned to date. There is no need—financially or professionally—for nurses or programs to repeat or replicate activities that have already been successfully completed.

As a reminder, all training provided through GFNN and the SAFE Network—including education delivered by our valued community partners such as Crisis Services of North Alabama (CSNA)—is evidence-based, aligned with national protocols, and consistent with best practice standards.

We have fought hard as a community to build recognition and credibility for our specialty. I want to emphasize:

🔹 Certification is not ending. It is temporarily paused during the restructuring.
🔹 The pause is administrative—not reflective of any issue with the credential or with those who hold it.

Please remain patient as IAFN continues its internal work and prepares guidance on next steps, particularly regarding future certification cycles. I will share updates promptly as they become available.

In the meantime, keep doing what you do so well—providing skilled, compassionate, trauma-informed care to survivors. Our work continues, our community remains strong, and your commitment remains essential.

With gratitude and solidarity,
TS

11/18/2025

Reposting from Natalia North, Blogger at Beneath the Surface of Purpose

In light of the sudden restructuring at IAFN, other organizations are already promoting their own certifications as alternatives. Moments like this can create pressure to act quickly or “fill the gap,” which is exactly why forensic nurses need clarity and confidence before spending money. This is not about judging any organization. It is about making informed, financially responsible decisions during an unstable time.

In nursing, the primary national body that establishes credibility for specialty certification is the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). When a certification is accredited or recognized by ANCC, it signals:
professional legitimacy
broader acceptance across institutions
alignment with established nursing standards
national recognition
meaningful impact on hiring, credentialing, or advancement.
Without ANCC recognition, a certification may still offer useful education, but its professional impact can be inconsistent, employer-dependent, and at times limited. Right now, certifications from FNCB are not accredited. That doesn’t make them harmful, it simply means nurses should take a more thoughtful approach to what they are paying for and why.

I encourage forensic nurses to be intentional with their investments. If a certification is not accredited or recognized by ANCC, and if it does not clearly support your immediate or long-term goals, it may be wise to wait.
Credentialing committees may or may not count it. Employers may or may not consider it valuable. In times of uncertainty, your money and your professional growth deserve extra protection.

Before You Pay for Anything, Ask Yourself:
Is this certification accredited or recognized by ANCC?
Does my hospital or system formally acknowledge or reward it?
Will it meaningfully help my career, or is it simply additional letters?
Does this reflect the reality of current forensic nursing practice?
Am I investing because it benefits me, or because it benefits the organization offering it?
If you cannot answer these questions with confidence, it’s okay to pause.
You are not “falling behind.” You are being intentional.

Here’s the Truth:
Your value does not come from a badge.
Your competence is not determined by extra letters. Your strength comes from:
your clinical skill
your documentation
your trauma-informed approach
your mentorship
your lived experience
your commitment to patients
These are the things that define the specialty.
These are the things that build careers.
These are the things that matter.

My Guidance, Said Simply
If a certification is not accredited
or not recognized by ANCC,
and if it does not clearly support your professional goals, wait before spending your money. Forensic nursing already carries enough emotional and financial weight.
Do not let instability in the field create pressure to purchase something that may not serve you.
Protect your wallet.
Protect your time.
Protect your practice.
And above all, protect your future.

09/19/2025

St. Croix friends - please join Women’s Coalition of St. Croix on September 25th for National Day of Remembrance for Murder Victims.

06/30/2025

Another successful clinical skills training weekend in the books! Thank you to Emory University Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing for being a wonderful training host! And thank you to our fabulous forensic nursing training team!