Valerie Sievers is a trailblazer in forensic nursing, shaping the field in Colorado and across the nation for 30 years. As one of the first faculty in the forensic nursing program at the University of Colorado, she is responsible for decades of graduates entering the healthcare field of gender-based violence.
Her efforts have elevated the practice of forensic nursing. She collaborated on groundbreaking research around reducing error in evidence collection, helping justify the establishment of new forensic nursing programs. She is also an innovator in simulation education for physical violence and strangulation. She has co-edited books about caring for the populations of strangled persons for providers, and she has assisted in the creation of new certifications for forensic nurses on the topic.
Sievers has cared for thousands of sexual assault and domestic violence patients, responding to call-outs at all hours. In communities where there were no qualified forensic nurses available, she would step up to provide patients with the care they deserved.
One thing that sets Sievers apart is her dedication to mentoring and raising up the next generation of forensic nurses. Longtime colleague Diana Faugno says, “Valerie isn’t just an expert in this field; she’s forensic nursing’s biggest cheerleader. She revels in others’ success — what she cares about most is developing new leaders.”
EVAWI celebrates Valerie Sievers’s significant contribution to the steady growth of certified forensic nurses and medical forensic providers and for enhancing the quality of care for victims of gender-based violence. She is a true Champion of Change.