A Day in the Life of A Forensic Nurse

Throughout my Agape Experience, I was able to collaborate with Dr. Michele Reali-Sorrell to find a new and innovative way to combat the issue of human trafficking and its occurrence in the health care system. After working with her for several months, I developed a deep interest in her field of work. I was given the opportunity to observe her work as a forensic nurse, among her many other responsibilities at the Cleveland Clinic.

Each day looks different for forensic nurse, Dr. Michele Reali-Sorrell, as she is involved in many projects and aspects of the Cleveland Clinic. Because she has an administrative position, she works on the day to day operations of the forensic nursing program which may include taking field calls if doctors or nurses have questions on patient care. She is currently working on developing policies, procedures, algorithms, and forms to improve patient care and if a patient were to be presented to the forensic organization. In addition, she attends local community meetings to collaborate with organizations also trying to help victims of abuse or trafficking. Dr. Michele Reali-Sorrell also is involved in mandated activities such as working with human trafficking healthcare and research committees. During these meetings, they collaborate on how to help human trafficking victims in an array of methods. They discuss how to provide services to patients at no cost by working with the finance and billing department at the Cleveland Clinic. They advocate for mental health counseling, with the help of the Cleveland Rape Crisis Center, and medications for victims with STDs. This may include attending daily phone calls, webinars, and zoom meetings. Dr. Michele Reali-Sorrell is also mandated to work with the Attorney General and law enforcement. Roughly 50 times per year, she Is asked to testify in court regarding the patient's stay at the hospital and the care she and her team provided.

She manages 5 counties, and 12 different facilities with 24/7 around the clock coverage for patients. By doing so, she meets with child protective teams and the domestic violence task force weekly to develop a plan of action and to assess situations that have been presented to the forensic department recently. Dr. Reali-Sorrell also mentioned that she has initiated a plethora of community trainings and organizations. She has trained 1,000 firefighters on human trafficking red flags in Washington, D.C. Additionally, she has been working with the government relations office to lobby for changed in regards to abuse felonies. For example, right now, strangling is not a felony, even though it violates a human's basic right to breathe. Lastly, she is working on trying to have it be a requirement to have forensic availability in all hospitals to ensure the proper care of victims of abuse of any type. Dr. Michele Reali-Sorrell is a very accomplished and dedicated example of the collaborative community effort to end human trafficking.