In honor of Forensic Nurses Week, we are pleased to announce the
creation of a virtual Tribute Wall to honor the life and work of
Virginia Lynch, a visionary and pioneer often referred to as the "Mother
of Forensic Nursing." We invite you to help build this wall by
purchasing a brick, with proceeds going toward a scholarship fund for
forensic examiners to attend our
International Conference on Sexual Assault, Domestic Violence, and Stalking.
Virginia Lynch has arguably done more than any other person to create
the field of forensic nursing. Through her work and leadership, she has
touched the lives of countless people, providing care and healing for
victims and promoting forensic science to hold
offenders accountable.
Help us to honor her legacy by providing an opportunity for forensic
examiners to attend our annual conference, offering them the chance to
build their knowledge, hone their skills, and connect with others who do
this critical work.
Thank You Forensic Nurses
We would also like
to take this opportunity to thank all forensic nurses, throughout the
United States and around the world, for the critical work you do.
In your everyday efforts, you offer victims care, healing, compassion,
and hope they so desperately need. On behalf of victims, their support
people and loved ones, we honor your service.
About Virginia Lynch
Virginia A. Lynch,
MSN, RN, FAAFS, FAAN, has been recognized as one of the American
pioneers in nursing and the founder of forensic nursing as a scientific
discipline. Her professional career launched when Virginia received
her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Harris College of Nursing, Texas
Christian University in Fort Worth, Texas in 1982. She then became the
first student enrolled in the first forensic
nursing graduate program, a program she was instrumental in designing.
Teaching and Writing
Virginia went on to
serve on the faculty of Forensic Nursing and Forensic Health Science,
Beth El College of Nursing, University of Colorado, Colorado Springs
(UCCS) from 1993-2010 and as adjunct faculty at the University of
Rochester in Rochester, New York. She currently serves as a visiting
scholar in forensic science and nursing programs worldwide.
She is Editor of the first medico-legal textbook for nurses, titled
Forensic Nursing published by Elsevier in 2006. This book was acclaimed as the
Most Significant Scholarly/Professional Contribution to Nursing and Allied Health for the year 2006 by the American Association of Publishers, Inc. The second edition, titled
Forensic Nursing Science was published in August, 2010.
Founding President of IAFN
Her impact on the
field is significant and lasting, and her accomplishments and awards are
too numerous to list. From 1993 to 1996, for example, Virginia
served as the founding president of the International Association of
Forensic Nurses (IAFN). She continues to be active with the IAFN as an
International Liaison, and in 1994 she was awarded the IAFN Virginia A.
Lynch Pioneer Award, which is now an annual
award for individuals who exemplify distinguished advances in the
science of forensic nursing.
International Impact
A prolific writer of
articles and technical papers on forensic nursing as well as a frequent
lecturer, she is currently involved in the establishment of forensic
nursing courses at universities and colleges worldwide. In 2000,
Virginia initiated a global consulting program in forensic nursing
science, teaching internationally as an independent scholar, while
maintaining a part time faculty position when in residence
in Colorado.
Virginia was the
first Fulbright Scholar to be awarded a fellowship in forensic nursing
science in 2005/2006. This grant introduced the global concept of
forensic nursing practice to health and justice systems across the
Indian subcontinent. In 2008, Virginia joined the faculty at the Gian
Sigar Medical and Nursing Colleges in Punjab, India to consult and
develop courses in forensic nursing education.
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