In this Bell Works Talks, the producers of the Sexual Assault Medical Forensic Examination Virtual Practicum, Grace Frances and Jacque Basset, and forensic nursing expert Tamara Jackson discuss how the new online program improves care for diverse patient populations, including transgender and incarcerated sexual assault survivors. The Practicum’s Interactive lessons and patient simulations teach each step of the medical forensic exam. Presenters also describe other popular features of the Practicum like the Crime Lab and the Courtroom that teach DNA analysis and prepare medical professionals to testify in court. They provide information for how to download the free program that offers up to 19.5 hours of continuing nursing education.

Jacque Bassett, MNLM is the Chief Operations Officer for End Violence Against Women International (EVAWI). In that role, she supervises staff and volunteers, and maintains organizational policies and procedures. She oversees all live training events, including the annual conference, regional trainings, and online webinars. She focuses on developing corporate partnerships to expand EVAWI’s work to improve criminal justice and community responses to sexual assault survivors. Jacque also serves as grant manager for cooperative agreements awarded by the Office for Victims of Crime and the Office on Violence Against Women at the US Department of Justice. Since 2020, she has co-managed the Sexual Assault Medical Forensic Examination (SAMFE) Virtual Practicum project to update and expand the program first launched in 2008.

Grace Frances, MPA is the Director of Community Partnerships for End Violence Against Women International and leads the collaborative partnership that created the new Sexual Assault Medical Forensic Exam Virtual Practicum. She also focuses on fund development to expand EVAWI’s ability to improve criminal justice and community responses to sexual assault survivors. She worked for the Florida Council Against Sexual Violence (FCASV) for 16 years, where she initiated and ran the state’s first trauma-informed sexual assault investigations program for law enforcement, dispatchers, and prosecutors, which trained thousands of professionals. She also helped establish and oversaw the Council’s Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner Training Program.

Tamara Jackson, MSN, RN, SANE-A, SANE-P, SANE is a forensic nurse examiner and the Clinical Programs Coordinator for Ascension Illinois. She oversees 10 sites that offer medical forensic services to survivors of sexual assault/abuse, child abuse, domestic violence, elderly abuse, strangulation, and human trafficking. Ms. Jackson graduated with her Bachelor’s degree in Nursing in 2012 and began working as an emergency department nurse in 2005. In 2018, Ms. Jackson earned her Master’s degree in Nursing. Ms. Jackson is a Board Member of the Academy of Forensic Nursing. She has been a long-standing member of the International Association for Forensic Nursing and is a current member for the Illinois chapter and has worked as a forensic nurse for over fifteen years. Ms. Jackson is the co-chair for the Ascension Health Peer Review Committee. In 2018, she introduced the organization’s Non-Fatal Strangulation policy and procedure. She is a contributor for the workbook Resilience 2018 Training Supplement for Medical Professionals. She was recognized by Ascension Health (formerly Amita Health) as a person to know in 2018, and she was a finalist in the 2010 Nursing Spectrum Excellence Award for clinical care.

Resources:

SAMFE Virtual Practicum https://evawintl.org/vp/