During the winter of 1997, a group of forensic nurses, primarily sexual assault nurse examiners, came together to form the Forensic Nurses Association of Alaska.

The main goal of this founding group was to develop an organization that would maintain the standards set by the International Association of Forensic Nurses (IAFN) as well as establish criteria that are unique to the state of Alaska.

In the summer of 2000, the FNAA became a Chapter of the International Association of Forensic Nurses.

Forensic Nursing Recognized

The American Nurses Association in 1995 officially recognized forensic Nursing as a specialty of nursing.

Forensic nursing is being recognized as one important component to the solution for today’s most serious health problem: Violence. The incidence of injuries and death from violence has been identified as a major public health problem. The consequences of violence have become one of the most important problems in public health and safety.

Today, forensic nurses are recognized as a previously untapped resource in anti-violence strategies and as a critical link in the administration of justice.

We are expanding our membership and scope of
practice to include additional areas of forensic nursing as they are recognized.