“It’s important for people to know that we’re here if they need us.”
Meet Ashley, Forensic Nurse Examiner (FNE) Program Manager, based in Saint John.
Since 2018, Ashley has worked with people who have experienced sexual and intimate partner violence, including women, men, children and gender-diverse individuals. As Horizon’s FNE program expands, she ensures the program provides quality care, and staff and programming are well-supported.
To Ashley, the core of FNE care is to see and treat the person as a whole – while someone might want evidence collected from their body, they may also need crisis intervention or a referral to specialized counselling services. They also may want to leave the hospital and move on with life. Ashley and Horizon’s FNEs are here to support the individual and their family in whatever capacity they need.
Sometimes compassionate care means sitting with a person and holding space for them to feel, or going the extra mile to ensure a patient or family is connected to the right resources. Thanks to ongoing collaboration with community partners, including Victim Services, domestic violence outreach services, Child and Youth Advocacy Centres and counselling supports, the FNE program can offer a variety of resources to patients.
“People who have experienced the effects of sexual violence deserve to be believed and to receive high-quality, evidence-based medical care,” said Ashley.
During Sexual Violence Awareness Month, we thank Ashley and Horizon’s team of FNEs.
