About Us

Our Forensic Nurse Examiner program began in 1982 as a hospital-based sexual assault program with five nurses working in two Emergency Rooms. Today, our nineteen nurses (fourteen are SANE-A and/or SANE-P certified) are able to offer the full array of forensic exams (sexual assault, DV, child physical abuse, strangulation, elder abuse, felony assault, and suspect exams) for men, women and children across the lifespan at five clinic locations serving fifteen counties in North Alabama.

The addition of our Forensic Teaching Associate program in 2019 expanded our ability to offer hands-on education and an IAFN-Approved Clinical Skills Lab. The creation of the Forensic Nurse Virtual Preceptorship (FNVP) in 2023 allowed us to increase our reach both domestically and abroad.

For over a decade, we have worked with programs across the country and around the world to train and provide on-going support to forensic nurses, advocates, law enforcement, multi-disciplinary teams, and Sexual Assault Response Teams and collaborated with educators and researchers to advance and elevate the practice.

In 2026, we brought all of our educational offerings together under one new program: the Center for Compassionate Forensic Education. CCFE’s mission is to provide quality, trauma-informed forensic education to programs and individuals around the world.

We are dedicated to fostering a compassionate approach to forensic education, empowering professionals to make a meaningful impact in their communities. Our commitment lies in blending empathy with expertise to address the unique challenges of forensic healthcare.