INTERNAT'L ASSOC OF FORENSIC NURSES INC

Membership: our membership, distributed across all 50 u.s. States and 31 countries, reflects a pool of approximately 6,000 nurses, victim advocates, social workers, physicians, and other multi-disciplinary team members. In 2024, more than 700 members participated in an extensive membership survey in 2024 to help inform the iafn's strategic planning process. Additionally, iafn's affiliated chapters gathered members for networking, education, and statewide advocacy throughout the year.

Certification: as nurses progress through the specialty, iafn offers paths to certifications that deepen their education and elevate their careers. In 2024, we took our initial steps toward a new certification related to identifying and caring for patients experiencing intimate partner violence (ipv). The goal will be release of a certification in intimate partner violence, or the ipv-c.

Products & publications: the journal of forensic nursing (jfn), iafn's official publication, celebrated its 20th anniversary, elevating the specialty by providing a place for peer-reviewed research. Through the jfn, the iafn has established itself within academia and among researchers, administrators, and clinicians as a critical voice in nursing, publishing nearly 700 articles by authors from 26 countries! Subject matter experts worked to update or develop three iafn position papers in 2024: victim advocate collaboration in partnership with the national sexual violence resource center; reporting intimate partner violence in the healthcare setting; and the use of non-family chaperones for the medical forensic examination.

Other program services: iafn works to advance the field through public policy advocacy. In 2024, two years of federal advocacy work paid off with the announcement in november that the u.s. Coast guard funded a study on sexual assault at sea. Our advocacy work on this specific initiative began in 2022 when we worked with the congressional committee of jurisdiction on the final bill that mandated the study. Our forensic nursing presence expanded across five continents through our growing network of passionate nurses committed to life-changing, life-saving work. Staff delivered on-site assessments, training, and international conference presentations, while iafn collaborated closely with u.s. Department of state partners year-round. Countries of focus included ukraine, belize, costa rica, india and canada. Iafn also presented at a number of conferences on its international work, including the international association of chiefs of police annual conference, the 15th annual scientific meeting of the balkan academy of forensic sciences, the un's 68th session of the commission on the status of women and the inaugural swiss forensic nursing forum.