Nancy
Downing,
PhD, RN, SANE-A, SANE-P, FAAN
Associate Professor
Texas A&M College of Nursing
Nancy Downing, PhD, RN, SANE-A, SANE-P, FAAN is an Associate Professor in the Center of Excellence for Forensic Nursing at Texas A&M University. She teaches in the graduate forensic nursing program and conducts research on intersections of violence, trauma, abuse, substance use, and health outcomes. She is a forensic nurse providing care to patients impacted by sexual abuse and assault, maltreatment, domestic violence, human trafficking, and non-accidental trauma. She is a Fellow in the American Academy of Nursing, currently serves as President of the International Association of Forensic Nursing, and is a member of the Texas Forensic Science Commission.
Presenting at the Nexus Summit:
Texas has a large population, large geographical area (268,597), and many rural and medically underserved regions. Many Texas rural and underserved communities lack access to Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners (SANEs) and medical forensic exams (MFEs). MFEs conducted by SANEs decrease risk of adverse mental health consequences to victims by providing high quality, patient-centered, and trauma-informed care [1,2]. Exams conducted by SANEs result in more effective evidence collection, greater admissibility of evidence in court, and greater likelihood cases proceed through the justice system [3-8].…