CFN - Certified Forensic Nurse Victim Assessment and Documentation Questions and Answers

Question 1

When documenting a patient's account of an assault, which of the following is the MOST appropriate action for the Certified Forensic Nurse?

Accepted Answer

Use direct quotes from the patient whenever possible.

Answer

Paraphrase the patient's statements to ensure medical clarity.

Answer

Include the nurse's interpretation of the events to provide context.

Answer

Only document information that is immediately relevant to physical injuries.

Question 2

A forensic nurse is preparing to photograph injuries on a patient who has consented to the procedure. Which of the following steps is essential for ensuring the photographs are admissible as evidence?

Accepted Answer

Including a measuring scale and a case number in the initial 'bookend' photograph.

Answer

Deleting any blurry or poorly lit photographs to present a clear record.

Answer

Asking law enforcement to take the photographs to ensure proper technique.

Answer

Ensuring the patient's face is visible in every injury photograph for identification.

Question 3

During a victim assessment, the forensic nurse notes a series of bruises in different stages of healing. This finding is MOST indicative of which of the following?

Accepted Answer

Ongoing or repeated physical abuse.

Answer

A single, recent traumatic event.

Answer

An accidental injury from a fall.

Answer

A patterned injury from a specific object.

Question 4

Which of the following is NOT a required component of a chain of custody document for a piece of forensic evidence?

Accepted Answer

The patient's full medical diagnosis.

Answer

The name of the person who collected the item.

Answer

The date and time of collection and transfer.

Answer

A description of the evidence item and its source.

Question 5

A patient arrives at the emergency department after a sexual assault that occurred 48 hours prior. The patient has showered but has not changed clothes. The patient consents to a medical forensic examination. What is the forensic nurse's best course of action regarding evidence collection?

Accepted Answer

Proceed with a full evidence collection kit, explaining that valuable evidence may still be recovered.

Answer

Inform the patient that no evidence can be collected because they have showered.

Answer

Collect clothing and perform oral swabs, but skip other swabs due to the delay and showering.

Answer

Only document injuries and refer the patient to law enforcement for evidence collection.

Question 6

In the context of a medical forensic history for a sexual assault victim, which type of questioning is considered best practice?

Accepted Answer

Open-ended, narrative-style questions.

Answer

Leading questions to help the patient remember details.

Answer

Closed-ended questions to expedite the interview.

Answer

Questions focused solely on the physical acts that occurred.