Help us Build a Scholarship Fund to Honor Virginia Lynch

Help us Build a Scholarship Fund to Honor Virginia Lynch The "Mother of Forensic Nursing" 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. For more information on Virginia Lynch or the Conference Scholarship established in her honor, please visit her Tribute Wall. 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. EVAW International P.O. Box 33 Addy, WA 99101-0033 509-684-9800 Phone 509-684-9801 Fax info@evawintl.org    For more information on the Start by Believing campaign,  visit our website or  check us out on Facebook. Jan. 31 - Feb. 1, 2013 2 Day Training on the Criminal Justice Response to Sexual Assault and   Domestic Violence.   The Westin Charlotte,   Charlotte, NC   April 3-5, 2013 International Conference on Sexual Assault, Domestic Violence and Stalking.   Hilton Inner Harbor,   Baltimore, MD  April 2, 2013  PRE CONFERENCE TRACK  Forensic Clinical Response to Victims of Violence Against Women EVAWI CFC Designation # 11400

End Violence Against Women International (EVAWI) Vision Statement:  We envision a world where gender-based violence is unacceptable; where perpetrators are held accountable, and victims receive the compassion, support, and justice they deserve. Mission Statement:  We inspire and educate those who respond to gender-based violence, equipping them with the knowledge and tools they need to support victims and hold perpetrators accountable.  We promote victim-centered, multidisciplinary collaboration, which strengthens the response of the criminal justice system, other professionals, allies, and the general public -- making communities safer.