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First, thanks to everyone who participated in the giveaway. I randomized the responses and had the generator choose a winner for me. Come back tomorrow for the big announcement.

I’m at Ft. Bragg this week and then [carefully looks around to make sure no one is listening] I am home for 3 entire, glorious weeks. I am beyond thrilled and am very much looking forward to seeing many of you for the IAFN Advocacy Day.

I worked most of the weekend after sneaking back to the CLE to see the girlchild, so I haven’t had much time to read. But there were a few things that caught my eye since last we spoke:

Her school banned her from writing about a classmate’s sexual assault arrest

Turns out, if you love research, academia might not be the place for you

Yoga mats in the squad room

Speaking black dialect in courtrooms can have dire consequences: “Beyond negative stereotypes or lack of familiarity, a court reporter’s own discomfort with some of the terminology used in black dialect could also lead to incorrect transcriptions…”

How to manage your fear of public speaking–some good tips in here, some of which I employ myself

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Have you checked out the FHO store lately? You can find our newest research brief, Aging Bruises Based On Color, plus our original guide, Injury Following Consensual Sex. Both available now for electronic download.

(Have you entered our giveaway yet for IAFN conference registration?)

BMJ has a new full-text article available, How to get started in quality improvement. If you’ve spent any time on this site you know I’m a big fan of any type of programming that affirmatively identifies issues and ideally, makes system-level changes to reduce or eliminate those issues (as opposed to catching the same problems over and over and correcting them once they’ve already been made on a case by case, clinician by clinician basis). It’s the difference between quality assurance (QA) programs and quality improvement (QI) ones. Jen Pierce-Weeks and I tackled that issue in the Sustainability app, here. Since launching the Sustainability app, OVC published the SANE Program Development and Operation Guide, and they addressed the issue of quality improvement, as well.

This BMJ piece is a good follow-on. It’s obviously not tailored to forensic clinical programs, but there’s no reason the information wouldn’t apply to a variety of programs, regardless of location or structure. And this provides much more instruction for taking the plunge into QI. Program managers, in particular, should consider spending some time with this article, especially as you consider the major challenges you may have in providing the best possible care to patients in your community.

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Have you checked out the FHO store lately? You can find our newest research brief, Aging Bruises Based On Color, plus our original guide, Injury Following Consensual Sex. Both available now for electronic download.

(Have you entered our giveaway yet for IAFN conference registration?)

The windchill in the DC area is -3, but it’s better than the ground temp of -14 in E Lansing where I’m headed later today. I finally made it home after 15 days on the road, so it was a glorious weekend here. We did nothing but cook, watch old episodes of British Bakeoff and keep the fireplace going around the clock–heaven. However, that’s done, and now I will be gone the remainder of the month. Particularly with the shutdown appearing to have no end in sight, I am not complaining. If ever there was a time to be (extra) grateful for work it is when your spouse is not getting paid to go to the job that she shows up at daily.

Here’s what’s caught my eye since last we spoke:

I didn’t go to the women’s march this year since I had just gotten back to town, but this was an excellent take on why we shouldn’t give up on it

A powerful look at mental illness: Yale will not save you

If you didn’t see this UCLA gymnast’s floor routine a few weeks back, it’s a must watch. You can check it out and her inspiring plans post-graduation here.

Kill or be killed shouldn’t be the only option for battered women

Also: how the shutdown is impacting domestic violence shelters

No surprise sex ed fails teens regularly, but particularly around the issue of sexting

An aspirational online list for 2019

The gay penguins of Australia–this is delightful

Finally: I’ve been lucky enough to see Kamala Harris in action during Judiciary Committee hearings, so I am very interested to watch her campaign unfold. As with all the candidates, there are some things about her that concern me, but she is one of a few Dems that has a clear track record on issues important to me as both a woman and as a forensic clinician.

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Have you checked out the FHO store lately? You can find our newest research brief, Aging Bruises Based On Color, plus our original guide, Injury Following Consensual Sex. Both available now for electronic download.

(Have you entered our giveaway yet for IAFN conference registration?)

Well, I have to tell you, 2019 has started out with a bang. Last week was Hawaii, this week is Tacoma, and I still have E. Lansing, Cleveland and Ft. Bragg before January is over. Never have I been so happy to see holes open up in my calendar–February is going to be bliss since it looks like I have only one trip scheduled now for the entire month. Whew–I need to get reacquainted with the other human in my household before March hits and we get right back at it.

Like last week, my time won’t be my own this week. I’ll try and keep posts as regular as possible, but it may be tricky. I did have some downtime over the weekend to catch up on some reading, though. Here’s what caught my eye since last we spoke:

A little news about me 🙂

The end of likability politics

“Their strength comes from collaborative, generational efforts to move toward the good.”

This incredible interactive site mapping violence against black women

Related

Currently one of my favorite Insta accounts

Traditional masculinity is officially labeled harmful by the APA

A Dreamer and a Rhodes scholar

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Have you checked out the FHO store lately? You can find our newest research brief, Aging Bruises Based On Color, plus our original guide, Injury Following Consensual Sex. Both available now for electronic download.

I started FHO 10 years ago as a way to make sure there was a way to bring accessible and affordable continuing education to my fellow forensic colleagues. A lot has changed in the profession and in my own life since those early days, but we’re still here, doing the work that we do. To celebrate a decade on the interwebs, it seems fitting to give a little something away to one lucky FHO reader, so how do you feel about New Orleans in the fall with hundreds of your closest friends? Because I am definitely feeling that.

THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED. THANKS FOR ENTERING!

ALSO: To celebrate 10 years of FHO, please use the coupon code FHOIS10 in the store (good through the end of the month) for 10% off the reviews.

Seriously, though–thanks for being the most excellent readership a woman could ask for. You fill my nerdy heart with joy and wonder on the regular. Here’s to the next 10.

[PLEASE NOTE: this is not a sponsored post. I am giving away an IAFN conference registration because the mission of this site has always focused on clinician education and the annual conference is the epitome of that ideal.]

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Have you checked out the FHO store lately? You can find our newest research brief, Aging Bruises Based On Color, plus our original guide, Injury Following Consensual Sex. Both available now for electronic download.

We all were pretty busy in 2018, and even here at our little site, it turns out a bunch of you stopped by. So if you’re curious, scroll through to see who showed up and what you all were reading on FHO. And by all means, come back on Monday, because FHO turns 10(!), and to celebrate, we are doing the biggest giveaway ever. I promise, it’s worth your while (and open to all FHO readers, anywhere around the globe).

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Have you checked out the FHO store lately? You can find our newest research brief, Aging Bruises Based On Color, plus our original guide, Injury Following Consensual Sex. Both available now for electronic download.

This is the last post of the year, my friends. I’m signing off to finish up some work here in Italy and then go on to Reykjavik where I will meet Sasha for a spot of vacation before we meet up with the girlchild for the remainder of the holiday season. Here’s hoping you have a healthy and happy holiday of your own. May the new year bring us peace–for our families and loved ones, the patients we serve, and the humans with whom we inhabit this planet. See you back here after the new year. xo Jen

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I’m writing this from my parents’ kitchen table as I sneak in a bit of family time before I head to Italy this week. I have bold plans for productivity before I strap into my long haul flight, but ultimately all I can say is, we’ll see. If all works out as planned, I’ll get in an Articles of Note before I go. 

I try to avoid using busy as an excuse or a battle cry or a shield (or a boast), but whew–as this year winds down I am wondering how it is possible we are at this point in the calendar already? I know I’m not alone in this. Anyway, here are a few things that caught my eye as I waited for my flight to the 216 this weekend:

A pathologist’s perspective on gunshot wounds

Seems like every year some paper publishes this same article, as if it’s a revelation, and not the annual indictment that it should be

Have you been reading the Star-Telegram’s investigative reports on sexual abuse in the fundamentalist Baptist churches?

Dangerousness, codified

Sex ed isn’t serving young black women

And finally, this fascinating read, apropos of pretty much nothing, but still…so interesting.

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Have you checked out the FHO store lately? You can find our newest research brief, Aging Bruises Based On Color, plus our original guide, Injury Following Consensual Sex. Both available now for electronic download.

As things currently stand, I won’t be home again (save for 18 hours) until 26 December, so things over here may be pretty spotty. I’ll try to keep up as I bounce between the US and Europe over the next 4 weeks, but please be patient, since my time won’t always be my own and offerings also slow down significantly during the holidays. I’m currently at Ft. Bragg, and although there hasn’t been a ton of downtime, I have had the chance to catch up on a few articles I had bookmarked. Here’s what’s caught my eye since last we spoke;

I continue to be so excited by the work Monica and her folks are doing over at Alianza Nacional de Campesinas. The accolades are well-deserved.

The day my husband strangled me

The art of avoiding assholes

The NFL still has a domestic violence problem

And finally, Hanukkah Sameach to all of you who are celebrating!

Have you checked out the FHO store lately? You can find our newest research brief, Aging Bruises Based On Color, plus our original guide, Injury Following Consensual Sex. Both available now for electronic download.

Time for one of my favorite posts of the year, the annual team gift guide. This year’s has a little something for everyone, and I kept it all under $50 bucks, which will hopefully make it pretty manageable. And since Hanukkah begins Sunday night, we’re squeeking in right under the wire. Happy, merry gift giving everyone!

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Have you checked out the FHO store lately? You can find our newest research brief, Aging Bruises Based On Color, plus our original guide, Injury Following Consensual Sex. Both available now for electronic download.

IAFN’s 5-part series for members only on medical-forensic evaluation of asylum seekers continues next month with the 2nd session, Clinical Interview and Considerations for Vulnerable Populations. It will be held December 11th at 1pm ET. Registration is limited to 200, so don’t procrastinate (it will be archived, however, so if you miss it, you can still listen to it afterward).

The remaining topics in the series will be covered in 2019:

• Medical Forensic Exam & Utilizing the Istanbul Protocol
• Specific Forms of Torture & Corresponding Clinical Findings
• Writing a Medical-Legal Affidavit & Providing Oral Testimony

I’ll keep saying it–this is such a great topic for a webinar series. If I was not going to be on a plane at this exact time I would already be registered….

Have you checked out the FHO store lately? You can find our newest research brief, Aging Bruises Based On Color, plus our original guide, Injury Following Consensual Sex. Both available now for electronic download.

It’ll be an abbreviated week here at FHO with the Thanksgiving holiday and all. Honestly, I spent most of the weekend trying to compensate for the days off, and it didn’t hurt that the wife was off with the Army for an extended weekend. That also left me some time to catch up on the interwebs. Here’s what caught my eye since last we spoke:

Could helping someone who is suicidal be as simple as this?

The health impacts of generational trauma

Related

Domestic violence tragedy in the neighborhood where I grew up; this one literally hits close to home on multiple levels

Understanding how the wildfires in California happened

…And how healthcare is happening in the wake of them

Patriarchy is a trap men keep falling for

The impact of the changes to Title IX

I found myself holding my breath reading this story about working in federal prison while female

In this country, we blame pregnant women for their own deaths

Terry Gross teaches us how to talk to people

Have you checked out the FHO store lately? You can find our newest research brief, Aging Bruises Based On Color, plus our original guide, Injury Following Consensual Sex. Both available now for electronic download.

With the really chilling stories of the fires in California, I give you this uplifting twitter thread about one particularly heroic nurse in Paradise:

Here’s the crazy story of just one of the many heroes in Paradise, the town destroyed by California’s deadliest fire ever. His name is Allyn Pierce, and he’s the badass nurse who drove this truck through the flames. pic.twitter.com/xAL7zRf34H

— Jack Nicas (@jacknicas) November 13, 2018

(Click on the arrow at the bottom to read the full thread)

F*ck yeah, nurses! And as a reminder, here’s how you can help those impacted by the wildfires.

Have you checked out the FHO store lately? You can find our newest research brief, Aging Bruises Based On Color, plus our original guide, Injury Following Consensual Sex. Both available now for electronic download.

Today is a mellow day here at FHO headquarters, as we observe Veterans Day in the US, and I spend it with my very favorite veteran. We are making blueberry ricotta pancakes, just FYI. Thank you, veterans, for your service and dedication. I am lucky to work with and know so many of you. “In valor, there is hope” (Tacitus).

California folks, I hope you all are safe and doing whatever it takes to keep yourselves that way. If you want to help, here are a couple of good articles that recommend specific actions: New York Times; Refinery 29 Please let us know if there is anything FHO readers can do to assist you.

This week is my last reprieve before I’m back on the road every week through the end of the year, and Sasha’s calendar doesn’t look much better. So we’ll be prepping for a lot of travel, including two international trips. But with the long weekend, I’ve had some time to peruse the interwebs. Here are a few things that have caught my eye since last we spoke:

How did Larry Nasser deceive so many for so long?

MedTwitter is rightfully in an uproar over NRA’s ridiculous claim that gun violence isn’t in our lane. One byproduct of the nonsense is the new account @ThisIsOurLane

SNL tackles hip-hop/rap and consent (the video is great, but probably NSFW, the article has the video embedded if you want to watch)

“It is a peculiarly American affliction that this epidemic of gun violence doesn’t move us to take any real steps toward curbing gun violence and access to guns.” Roxane Gay, brilliant as always.

Yes, childhood trauma is a public health issue

Excellent list if you’re looking for something to read

Finally, this is some truth telling right here.

Have you checked out the FHO store lately? You can find our newest research brief, Aging Bruises Based On Color, plus our original guide, Injury Following Consensual Sex. Both available now for electronic download.

Hey, how about that election the other night! While it was not perfect (Florida, what happened? And the Texas senate race? And please do not get me started on what’s still going on in Georgia…), there were some really incredible things that *did* happen. One hundred plus women going to the House is a pretty big deal. New Mexico sending a full delegation of people of color to the House to represent the state is a pretty big deal. And other firsts: two Muslim women to the House; two Native American women to the House; many LGBTQ+ candidates elected (a rainbow wave!), including an openly gay man elected governor of Colorado.

And a nurse from Naperville, IL named Lauren Underwood became the 1st black woman from her district to get elected. I’d ask you to watch this clip from last night’s Rachel Maddow show about her surprise upset in a very Republican, very white district, because, look, how she went about making it happen was peak nursing (she basically did it all at the “bedside”–she went directly to the people, all of them, no matter who or where they were, even the most underserved by politicians). I found her story to be both inspiring and empowering as a nurse and a policy nerd.

And if that doesn’t light your fire today, here’s a little bonus for you: with the House flipping control, Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX), a nurse, is now poised to chair the House Science Committee. From The Hill:

Johnson, if elected chair, will be the first woman with a degree in a STEM field to hold the position since 1990. She was the first registered nurse elected to Congress when she won her first term in 1993, and she’s served as ranking member on House Science, Space and Technology Committee since 2011…Johnson released a statement Tuesday night promising to restore ‘the credibility of the Science Committee as a place where science is respected and recognized as a crucial input to good policymaking”.

F*ck yeah, nurses!

Have you checked out the FHO store lately? You can find our newest research brief, Aging Bruises Based On Color, plus our original guide, Injury Following Consensual Sex. Both available now for electronic download.

Sorry about the late notice on this one: IAFN is hosting a webinar this week, Writing Grants: Show Me the Money. The session will be held on November 8th at 2pm ET.  CE is available. The session (free for members, $20 for non-members) will be archived if you cannot attend the live event, which is limited to 200 participants. From the website:

Have you wanted to begin a forensic nursing research project and don’t know where to start? This webinar is for you!  In this live webinar, we will go over some strategies for successful grant identification (finding the money) and then give you some tips and techniques to write a successful proposal. 

What you will learn in this webinar:

1. Resources to find grants
2. Resources on grant writing
3. Practical grant writing tips and techniques

Register for the session here.

Have you checked out the FHO store lately? You can find our newest research brief, Aging Bruises Based On Color, plus our original guide, Injury Following Consensual Sex. Both available now for electronic download.

Happy Forensic Nurses Week to everyone! It’s a fine time to take a moment and celebrate the excellent work we all do, although I hope it’s not only appreciated this one week each year. This week is also important here in the US, because it is the critical midterm elections tomorrow. It is it important for us as individuals and professionals, but it’s also important for our patients, many of whom represent populations outside the dominant culture, many of whom have preexisting conditions (or will have preexisting conditions after the violence they have experienced), many of whom have tenuous status as residents of this country (and have that status used as a weapon against them in violent relationships), and most of whom are women and are watching their bodily autonomy slip away with each passing week of the current administration (not just abortion access, but access to birth control, to include emergency contraception). So no matter what you think of the quality of the candidates, no matter how exhausted you are by all the political rhetoric, simply not voting is not an option. Roxane Gay made the case brilliantly in this essay for why your disillusionment doesn’t give you a free pass to just stay home.

It was a very emotional week, following the shooting in Pittsburgh, and for us it was a week of travel capped with services Friday night. Along with 800 members of our community, we turned out at our beloved Sixth and I synagogue Friday night, the place Sasha and I call our spiritual home, for Shabbat services. Prior to standing up to say the Mourners Kaddish for the 11 killed at the Tree of Life synagogue and the two killed in the Krogers parking lot the day prior, our Rabbi asked that we rise in three waves: the 1st wave would be allies–those non-Jews who came to support the Jewish community, to pay their respects to the lives lost, and to stand shoulder to shoulder with us; the 2nd wave would be the Jews in the room (however they chose to define themselves), who were new to 6th and I or at least didn’t identify it as their spiritual home; and the 3rd wave would be those of us who called 6th and I our home. Then she called the 1st wave to stand–and the most incredible thing occurred. The majority of the synagogue rose. And Rabbi Shira started to cry, and Sasha and I were crying (and honestly, we are not criers), and it was such an unbelievable thing to look around and see so many damn people standing up as allies that I cried my way through the entire Mourner’s Kaddish (see the video below) and maybe got every 6th word out. You won’t necessarily read about that aspect of the service, but you will hear a bit about the evening in this article, that also captured services from other congregations around the country in the wake of the shooting. Because that’s the thing about people and difficult times and darkness and all the bad shit we are forced to face–we are resilient and we go on.

I read a few other things since last we spoke:

May his memory be a blessing

Spanking: still not good

So jealous those of you in FL who get to vote for this guy

The problem with sex-ed in the US

Why online hate is so dangerous

Have you checked out the FHO store lately? You can find our newest research brief, Aging Bruises Based On Color, plus our original guide, Injury Following Consensual Sex. Both available now for electronic download.

Thanks to everyone who alerted me about the issues with the FHO Contact form. It took me a while to troubleshoot the issue (since I am FHO’s tech support, too), but at long last, the problem is solved. Feel free to use the Contact form as you see fit. Thanks for your patience.

This week is our annual IAFN conference, so I have no idea whether any other posts will happen. Hard to say, based on the level of historical (good) chaos that is this event. I am debuting brand new content, and there are a lot of moving parts to the one testimony session, so I am going to apologize in advance and just tell you, it will probably be kind of quiet over here as my energies are directed elsewhere. That being said, I am super excited to see so many of you in person. Please come say hello–you will surely see me all over the place, and I love meeting FHO readers, so feel free to introduce yourself.

The news continues to be appalling and scary and sad. I continue to waver on whether or not to even bother with the weekly round-up, but for now, I am leaning in favor, and so here’s what’s caught my eye since last we spoke:

This news about the administration’s trans memo is beyond upsetting (and frightening, disheartening, maddening, nauseating–insert your choice of adjectives). Love this list of action items in the wake of that bombshell. (We gave last night to Trans Lifeline, but there are many excellent groups on the list if you have some spare cash, as well as other non-monetary options).

Men’s regret (this is– a lot)

Good job, Lyft

Want to help other women? More talk, less blame.

Abortion by mail?

For some men, the pain is the point

Why the UN wants to ban virginity testing

I read this story to Sasha this morning as she got dressed and made her tear up because there actually are still some really good people in the world.

Safe travels, everyone–see you in Reno!

Have you checked out the FHO store lately? You can find our newest research brief, Aging Bruises Based On Color, plus our original guide, Injury Following Consensual Sex. Both available now for electronic download.

When I was posting Tuesday’s content I happened to notice that FCoE had an interview with the fabulous Bobbi Jo O’Neal that just went live, so as a bonus, today I am featuring her interview. I haven’t had a chance to listen to the whole thing (I have it downloaded for my next flight). She’s a great ambassador for forensic nurse death investigators, so if that’s an area of interest, or you’re just curious what your colleagues in that subspecialty are up to, I encourage you to check it out. Listen here on Soundcloud.

You can also download from:

iTunes

Google Play

Have you checked out the FHO store lately? You can find our newest research brief, Aging Bruises Based On Color, plus our original guide, Injury Following Consensual Sex. Both available now for electronic download.