CFN Forensic Evidence Collection & Documentation 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: In a suspected elder abuse case, a forensic nurse notes multiple bruises in different stages of healing. This finding is significant because it suggests:
- The patient has a bleeding disorder requiring medical workup
- Repeated traumatic events occurring over time rather than a single incident (Correct answer)
- Bruises in the elderly appear older due to poor skin elasticity
- The patient is on anticoagulant medications causing easy bruising
Correct answer: Repeated traumatic events occurring over time rather than a single incident
Multiple bruises in varying stages of healing suggest repetitive injury at different points in time, which is a key indicator of ongoing physical abuse.
Question 2: When collecting foreign material (soil, glass fragments) from a trauma patient's wounds, the forensic nurse should use:
- Sterile irrigation to flush wound material into a collection basin
- Clean forceps or swabs to collect material into separate labeled containers (Correct answer)
- Standard wound debridement technique and discard foreign material
- Adhesive tape lifts applied directly to the wound bed
Correct answer: Clean forceps or swabs to collect material into separate labeled containers
Foreign material should be collected with clean instruments into individually labeled containers to preserve each specimen's location-specific evidentiary value.
Question 3: A forensic nurse discovers that an evidence seal on a kit has been broken prior to her receiving it for documentation review. She should:
- Re-seal the kit and note it was sealed by nursing staff
- Document the compromised seal, note it on the chain of custody, and notify the appropriate supervisor (Correct answer)
- Refuse to accept the kit and return it to law enforcement
- Open the kit, verify contents are intact, and re-seal without documentation
Correct answer: Document the compromised seal, note it on the chain of custody, and notify the appropriate supervisor
A broken evidence seal must be documented immediately and noted on the chain of custody form, as any tampering or seal compromise must be transparently recorded.
Question 4: Which of the following best describes the nurse's role when using a body diagram in forensic documentation?
- Body diagrams replace the need for photographic documentation
- They provide a visual representation of injury location to supplement written descriptions and photographs (Correct answer)
- Body diagrams are only required in sexual assault examinations
- They are used to indicate the probable mechanism of injury
Correct answer: They provide a visual representation of injury location to supplement written descriptions and photographs
Body diagrams are a supplemental documentation tool that visually maps injury location and orientation to complement written descriptions and photographs.
Question 5: A forensic nurse is asked to collect a DNA buccal swab from a suspect by law enforcement. Before proceeding, the nurse must confirm:
- The suspect has waived their right to an attorney
- Proper legal authorization (consent or court order) has been obtained for the collection (Correct answer)
- The suspect shows no signs of oral infection that could contaminate the sample
- A law enforcement officer is present during the entire collection procedure
Correct answer: Proper legal authorization (consent or court order) has been obtained for the collection
Collecting DNA from a suspect without consent or a court-ordered warrant violates Fourth Amendment rights and can render evidence inadmissible.
Question 6: When conducting a forensic examination on an intoxicated patient who cannot provide informed consent, the forensic nurse should:
- Proceed with full evidence collection to prevent loss of time-sensitive evidence
- Defer all examination until the patient regains capacity to consent
- Provide only emergency medical care and document the situation; re-approach consent when patient has capacity (Correct answer)
- Have law enforcement provide consent on behalf of the patient
Correct answer: Provide only emergency medical care and document the situation; re-approach consent when patient has capacity
Emergency medical treatment is provided, but forensic evidence collection requires informed consent that must wait until the patient regains decision-making capacity when possible.
Question 7: A forensic nurse is completing documentation when she realizes she omitted a finding from the original record. The correct action is to:
- Use correction fluid (white-out) to revise the original entry
- Draw a single line through the original entry, initial it, and rewrite with the corrected information
- Add a late entry addendum with the date, time, and omitted finding with explanation (Correct answer)
- Create a new medical record page and mark the original as void
Correct answer: Add a late entry addendum with the date, time, and omitted finding with explanation
Late entry addenda with the current date and time, the original examination date, and the reason for the addendum are the legally correct method for adding omitted forensic documentation.
CFN Forensic Evidence Collection & Documentation 5
In a suspected elder abuse case, a forensic nurse notes multiple bruises in different stages of healing.
This finding is significant because it suggests: