Photo By Justin Moeller | Evangeline Barefoot, BACH Forensic Healthcare Program Manager, center, was named...... read more read more
FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. – A Department of the Army civilian employed at a Military Health System facility on Fort Campbell, Kentucky was named Front Line Forensic Nurse of the Year by the International Association of Forensic Nurses, July 17.
Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner, Evangeline Barefoot, serves as the Forensic Healthcare Program Manager at Blanchfield Army Community Hospital, which provides healthcare to more than 73,000 service members, retirees, and family members on and around Fort Campbell.
“Ms. Barefoot is highly regarded not only as an expert clinician but also as a mentor and trainer in forensic nursing,” said Olivia Hobbs, an IAFN representative who traveled from Nashville, Tennessee to present the award on behalf of the IAFN. “Like all forensic nurses, she meets and cares for patients at what is likely one of the worst moments of their lives. It is her exceptional attention to detail and compassionate care of those patients that are the hallmark of a great frontline forensic nurse.”
Forensic health professionals, like Barefoot, provide medical treatment and evaluation for individuals who have experienced sexual assault. They have specialized knowledge in injury identification, evidence collection and may provide testimony in court to assist with prosecution of individuals who commit acts of abuse.
Having a sexual assault forensic exam ensures the patient receives any care they may need and that any forensic evidence is safely preserved in case the survivor later decides to file a report. By program regulation, medical reports made by forensic healthcare examiners must be retained for 50 years.
““I have the best team in the Department of Defense. They sacrifice their home life, their personal life, their work life and give everything to this collateral duty. I appreciate their support and the support of our leaders,” said Barefoot, noting that her selection reflected the entire team, including first responders, medical personnel, victim advocates, military and civil law enforcement officials, social workers and counselors, staff judge advocates and civic officials from surrounding communities, who must all work together when responding to reports of sexual assault and domestic violence.
Barefoot first began working in forensic nursing in 1993, while employed as a registered nurse at a small rural hospital emergency room in Taylor, Texas. The local district attorney requested area hospitals send their nurses to attend the Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner Program at the University of Texas at the DA’s expense.
“Back then the sexual assault nurse examiners program was in its infancy and the requirements were that you worked in an ER, had two years of experience, and had to be female,” Barefoot recalled. “I was the only female, so I was ‘voluntold.”
But forensic health care became her passion because she realized the positive impact she could have.
“She has devoted herself to supporting and advocating for survivors of sexual assault, creating a safe and empowering environment for them during one of the most vulnerable moments of their lives,” said Jessica Lietz, Blanchfield’s acting chief of ambulatory nursing.
Since then, Barefoot, has applied her expertise to develop best practices shared across the Military Health System.
During a renovation of the hospital’s emergency center, Barefoot requested a brand new sexual assault forensic exam room specifically built for the comfort and privacy of patients. Upgraded design features including locking doors, a shower and a changing area were in incorporated in the design. Barefoot keeps the space stocked with blankets and clean clothes for patients.
Her Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence Summits connect stakeholders to share their individual roles when responding to reports of sexual assault and domestic violence with the goal of improving lines of service and communication for victims.
In her nomination letter to IAFN, Lietz said that Barefoot has had a significant role in developing and teaching program curriculum and equipping future forensic nurses throughout the DoD with training and expertise that will benefit the program for years to come.
“Her commitment to education ensures the continuous growth and advancement of the field, leaving a lasting legacy that extends far beyond her direct patient interactions,” said Lietz.
According to Hobbs, the International Association of Forensic Nurses honors one nurse globally each year as the Frontline Forensic Nurse of the Year in recognition of a nurse who exhibits compassion and personal sacrifice on behalf of the patient and provides extraordinary care that creates significant benefits for that patient.
| Date Taken: | 07.27.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 07.26.2023 17:29 |
| Story ID: | 450049 |
| Location: | FORT CAMPBELL, KENTUCKY, US |
| Web Views: | 263 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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