Forensic Nursing Coordinator
Mercy, Northwest Arkansas Forensic Nurse Team
My name is Kacie Parrish and I am currently in the role of Forensic Nursing Coordinator in Northwest Arkansas. In this role, I manage a team of 7-10 forensic nurses who respond to advocacy centers and hospitals across 2 counties to provide forensic exams. I have been practicing in the field of forensic nursing since 2015 and have achieved both the SANE-A and SANE-P certifications. In the last 2 years I have been a facilitator, co-planner, and presenter for 3 Adult/Adolescent/Pediatric SANE didactic courses and the 4th will be provided in April 2022. Collaborating with other professionals, I have helped to create a state-wide preceptorship program for pediatric SANEs and have started a monthly newsletter for Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners in Arkansas. I serve on the Child Advocacy Centers of Arkansas Medical Committee, co-host a bimonthly collaborative and educational meetings for Arkansas Pediatric SANEs, and I am a member of the IAFN and AFN. Through the AFN I am a member of the Pediatric Special Interest Group and Interprofessional Collaboration committee. Additionally, I provide education on sexual assault nursing to high school students, college students studying Child Advocacy, nursing students, local ER and ICU nurses, multidisciplinary team members, and others upon request. I hope to create additional opportunities for professional growth and education for forensic nurses in the state through shadowing, preceptorship, trainings, and conferences. I am currently in an MSN program with a forensic nursing focus through Aspen University to push myself professionally so that I have more opportunities to influence change in a way that helps victims of crime and expands the field of Forensic Nursing in Arkansas. In addition to nursing, I am a mother of 2 young girls, Selah and Eliana, a wife to my husband, Matt, and we are first-generation farmers! My family’s goal is to use our farm as a base for a non-profit that will benefit at-risk children and teenagers.
