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Hello Everyone!

My name is Toni Richardson and I am located in Camp Springs, MD which is in the Washington, DC Metropolitan Area. I work as a Registered Nurse for the Department of Defense on an Adult Inpatient Behavioral Health Unit and as an Adjunct Clinical Instructor with George Washington University. I am interested in taking this course because I find forensics, criminology, sociopathology, and psychopathology fascinating. “Dexter” on the Showtime network was one of my all-time favorite shows.

I have experience as an emergent, urgent care, and psychiatric nurse; thus, I have cared for victims, survivors, as well as offenders. I hope to learn the difference between criminology and criminalistics and how the two intersect. As a future Psychiatric and Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP), I hope that this course will augment my learning and allow me to better help my patients.

I'm single, with no kids, so in my free time I love to travel, shop and cook. I’m originally from Louisiana so my specialties are Cajun, Creole and soul food cuisines. I’m in a long-term committed relationship and we have plans to get married after I graduate with my Post-Masters Graduate Certificate as a PMHNP. Also, once my career and crazy schedule settle down, I would love to adopt a puppy!

I look forward to meeting each of you and having a fun and informative course.

Best regards & good luck this semester!

Toni

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Hello everyone!

My name is Christine Torres, and I currently reside in Toms River, NJ.  I obtained my BSN at Bloomfield College. I have about 3 years of ER/ICU experience under my belt, but recently decided to take on a part time day position in Same Day Surgery in anticipation for upcoming clinicals. I also work per-diem at a growing medical imaging practice as well.

What interested me about taking this course was one presentation during my first convocation in nursing school. It was a presentation given by a forensic nurse. I was intrigued about her job, and it was very different from the nursing I was familiar with in the hospital. I also enjoy watching shows like NCIS and Law and Order: SVU. I have not had any experience with victims/survivors of interpersonal violence/crime. I hope to learn more in depth about crime investigation and see if I would be interested in a career with forensic nursing in the future.

When I am not immersed in studying or working, I like to travel and have new experiences. I am also a "foodie" and always open to try new foods or new restaurants. I particularly have a sweet tooth. I try to have a donut from a local shop from every place I visit. My latest adventure was to Portland, Maine! It was breathtaking to see Casco Bay frozen in time, and the snow-covered scenery around me. I tried The Holy Donut’s ever so popular potato donuts for the first time, and they were pretty delicious. :)

Good luck to everyone this quarter!

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Hello Classmates of NUR-519-900,

My name is Caitlin and I currently live in Pittsburgh, PA.  Truthfully, I am a big fan of crime shows such as Criminal Minds, Law & Order SVU, and NCIS. I know it is corny and all of these are fake television shows, but I love them. However, I have also read a few books about actual serial killers and watched a few documentaries on them. I find reading peoples behaviors and trying to understand why people committed these crimes very interesting. This class appealed to me because it is something different and could help me in the future for when I become a nurse practitioner. I am already curious about forensics, so I thought this would be a great course to enhance my knowledge on the subject.  I am currently enrolled in the Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Program.  I am also excited to learn more about autopsies, wounds, and forensic toxicology. I am excited to see our discussion about legalizing marijuana and the opioid crisis, as these issue effects medical professionals everyday. I do not have a lot of experience working with victims/survivors of interpersonal violence/crime. I currently work in a medical/cardiac intensive care unit with a high oncology population, so I do not patients who have been victims of violent crimes. There are times where we do receive patients who have overdosed. On occasion I have had patients who have been victims of abusive relationships or sexual crimes. We have a great social worker that helps the patients, as well is a great resource for us when we have questions or feel uncomfortable on what to say or do.

A little about me. I graduated from the University of Pittsburgh in 2010 and have remained in Pittsburgh. I love traveling, spending time with friends and family, tacos, and Zumba. I have never been to Asheville but I have heard great things about it. My favorite city is Charleston, South Carolina. I’m excited to learn a lot this quarter!

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Hello Everyone,
My name is Jane Robeson. I live in Pennsylvania near Quakertown. This is my second year in the family nurse practitioner program. I choose to take this course as my elective because the topic has always been extremely interesting to me. My experience with victims and crime surviviors  has been few and far between. I had worked cardiac unit city hospital, and now critical care. In both of these areas I have encountered both victims, and survivors and learned quickly how to interact with these individuals due the complicated subject matter. Once I recall a family member visting my patient, and he ended up hitting a mentally challenged family member that was also visiting the patient. It is something that working in healthcare we are bound to be faced with. My goal for the course is to learn as much as I can about the topic, and be able to use the information I have learned to improve my skills and nursing care. Aside from the formal introductions answers a little bit about me. My husband and I have an eight year old son who loves Batman. Needless to say we are not superman fans. We also welcomed our daughter, Karlee to the family November 27, 2017. She seems to only be into sleeping and eating. Needless to say this is something mommy doesn't really get. Between working full-time on a critical care unit, family, and school my free time is limited. Juggling everything has always been the challenge that I am sure most of us experience. I look forwarded to getting to know, and interact with all of you throughout the quarter.

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Hi everyone,                                                                                                 My name is Yulia Uvaydov. I am from New York, I live here for past 16 years. I came to USA in 2002 form Russia. Unfortunately ﻿﻿﻿﻿I don't have much experience working with victims, but it was always interesting for me. In Russia after I graduated high school I wanted to go to school to become a detective. But my parents decided that was  not a good life for a woman, so  I became an accountant....I am an ICU nurse. Working as a nurse for 7 years. This is my second year at Drexel, ACNP track.  I was cross-trained in Emergency room. Sometimes I have patients who are victims of domestic violence. From this class I hope I will learn how to work with patients like this, and be a better professional...  

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Hi everyone,                                                                                                 My name is Yulia Uvaydov. I am from New York, I live here for past 16 years. I came to USA in 2002 form Russia. Unfortunately ﻿﻿﻿﻿I don't have much experience working with victims, but it was always interesting for me. In Russia after I graduated high school I wanted to go to school to become a detective. But my parents decided that was  not a good life for a woman, so  I became an accountant....I am an ICU nurse. Working as a nurse for 7 years. This is my second year at Drexel, ACNP track.  I was cross-trained in Emergency room. Sometimes I have patients who are victims of domestic violence. From this class I hope I will learn how to work with patients like this, and be a better professional...  

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I have 2 beautiful daughter, 13 and 4 years old. And a Scottish Fold cat!
Good luck to everyone this semester!

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Hi everyone,
My name is Brianna and I live in Conshohocken, PA a small suburb of Philadelphia. I am in my first year of the Family Nurse Practitioner track. I have been working as an Oncology RN for the past 5 years and recently passed my OCN exam over the summer. I have always been interested in Forensic Science, and after a friend of mine recently completed a Masters degree in Forensic medicine, all her ently dealing with as well as different crimes. Over all I'm super excited to learn more stories/things she was learning about, I knew when I saw this class was offered it would be something I would hopefully enjoy! I have absolutely zero experience working with victims/survivors of interpersonal violence/crime. I am looking forward to learning more about the forensics behind this drug epidemic our nation is currthan what CSI has taught me about criminal investigation/ forensics over the past years :) Looking forward to learning and working with you all!

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My name is Nicole, but I prefer Nikki.  I currently reside in the Lehigh Valley of Pennsylvania, though I used to live in a few places including Las Vegas and the coal regions of Pennsylvania.  Taking a forensics class interested me as I have worked with patients who have overdosed on illicit drugs, taken part in coroner investigations, worked with patients who have suffered verbal, mental, and/or financial abuses.  I have worked with violent patients, and patients who are active prisoners.  Working in a critical care unit we have the ability to monitor and limit visitor traffic in the unit.  As a nurse, I have a protective nature, and I would like to have a better understanding of crime, victim reduction, and offender intervention.  However, as a member of the American Association of Critical Care Nurses, I have an understanding of open visiting and patient/family centered care.  With the increasing opioid crisis in our country nurses have been working with patients who are under the influence, going through withdraw, handling patient’s belongings (discovery of illegal/illicit substances, and following chain of custody until law enforcement arrives), and exposure to potentially dangerous patients/visitors all while providing care to their patients/families that are all present on the unit.

I have been a Nurse for 11 years, all in critical care.  I decided to become a nurse while working as a Respiratory Therapist.  I admired the connection that patients had with their nurses and how involved nurses are with their patients.  I have also obtained and maintained my CCRN and am a huge supporter of specialty certification.  Bi-monthly I call upon my respiratory therapy experience to teach a workshop on “The Care of the Mechanically Ventilated Patient” to RNs new to Critical Care.

After 18 long years of working nights, I recently transitioned to dayshift in preparation for the start of clinical rotations this coming summer.  While the transition from night living to day living is not the smoothest (my stomach is confused about the new eating schedule), I have quickly become a member of the dayshift family.  The nurses still ask me frequently throughout the shift, “Did you eat yet?”  One of the Medical Critical Care intensivists, who I have known since her residency, supplied me with a brand-new bottle of sunblock to aid in my transition from my vampire hours.

I am in the second year of the Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner track here at Drexel.  I chose Adult-Gerontology Acute Care as this track serves a patient population that I have been passionate about since my respiratory therapy days.  Completing the didactic portion of the program online has been surprising.  Honestly, I thought I would have difficulty adjusting, but as it turns out I favor this versus sitting in a lecture hall for hours.  I tend to fidget especially since I injured my knee training for a half-marathon.

I am looking forward to some great discussions this quarter with all of you.  Good luck to everyone.

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Greetings everyone! Welcome to NURS 519: Forensic Science Foundations. Winter is here, as is the New Year, and of course, so is the new academic quarter.

I am looking forward to working with each of you in the weeks ahead. The forensic courses tend to be very exciting, including thought provoking educational material and subsequent lively discussions.

Each quarter results in building a new and unique community within the class. In order to get things started, and to learn a little about each other, please be certain to answer the following 5 questions in your introductory Padlet post:

1) Where you are geographically located
2) What interested you in taking this course
3) What, if any, experience do you have with working with victims/survivors of interpersonal violence/crime
4) What you hope to learn
5) Anything else you would like to share about yourself

Also, as we build the community, please feel free to post one of your favorite photos. For example, this is a photo from a trip I took to Bolivia in 2011 with a team of healthcare consultants from Drexel CNHP. As a forensic healthcare clinician, my role was to work with forensic psychologists, public DAs/prosecutors and regional court judges regarding enhanced assessment of children exposed to sexual violence and the related judicial process.  In the photo below, I am working with children in the school room of their Domestic Violence Shelter/compound (located at over 16,500 thousand feet in the Andes mountain range!). Alpacas were everywhere and I fell in love with quinoa (which is basically eaten at every meal there…and now whenever I see it on a restaurant menu, I simply must have it!).

I look forward to learning more about each of you.

"See" you in class,
Dr. C