Virginia lynch biography

Lynch is recognized as the preeminent scholar and founder of forensic nursing as a scientific discipline.
Virginia Lynch, MSN, RN, Forensic Nurse, on her start 40 years ago, becoming an AAFS member, and her drive to create the newest Section in AAFS.
Lynch, Virginia Anne was born on January 27, 1941 in Weatherford, Texas, United States.

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Our Multidisciplinary Roots— Member Perspective from Virginia Lynch, Forensic Nurse

In 2022, the General Section Historical Committee interviewed Virginia Lynch, MSN, RN, Forensic Nurse, on her start 40 years ago, becoming an AAFS member, and her drive to create the newest Section in AAFS. Read more of Ms. Lynch's story in the interview below.

How did your discipline get started?

Forensic nursing, as a discipline, did not exist when I was introduced to the forensic sciences. Throughout my undergraduate nursing program in the 1980's, there was not a focus on victims of violence and death or the legal issues pertaining to evidence, documentation, or reporting. I became curious about the patients referred to as victims of violence or forensic patients and this emergent science evolved in response to the consequences of global human violence. Meanwhile, my focus became emergency trauma and surgery. I noted that trauma patients were often accompanied by police officers; however, they were not afforded special treatment and vital medical-legal issues were often ignored

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Close-Up: Virginia A. Lynch

By Daria Waszak, MSN, RN, CEN, COHN-S via nursing.advanceweb.com

When Virginia A. Lynch, MSN, RN, FAAFS, FAAN, walked into her first crime laboratory, the Star Wars-like equipment, pulsing lights, smells of paint and formaldehyde, and evidence, such as weapons, blood and teeth didn’t scare her away; it left her intrigued and inspired.

“It was a moment that will forever be imprinted in my mind,” Lynch said. “Curiosity turned to fascination, and I couldn’t learn enough or fast enough,” Lynch said. “My interest became a preoccupation and evolved into a passion. I became a regular visitor of the crime laboratory, and the more I learned, the more I wanted to know.”

Her obsession with forensics ultimately unfolded a paradigm shift, namely, a whole new nursing specialty called forensic nursing.

This unique opportunity to visit the crime lab took place in Texas in 1982 and grew out of her observations as an emergency nurse. Lynch noticed how evidence, such as clothing, specimens, records or personal items

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Virginia A Lynch

Virginia A. Lynch promotes global training and credentialing for forensic nurses – both to ensure a standard of care and to elevate the application of forensic science to nursing practice, while establishing the role of the forensic nurse in health care of communities around the world. She began writing her thesis in the 1980's, and completed it in 1990 at the University of Texas at Arlington. She then published her seminal work entitled, "Clinical Forensic Nursing: A Descriptive Study in Role Development." She conceptualized nurses as torchbearers for the improvement of medical-forensic practice, and she led the way by taking the forensic nursing role global. She has been a pioneer throughout her nursing career. During the 1980's, she established the first post-sexual assault care clinic in Parker County, Texas. She has also served as a county medico-legal death investigator in the state of Georgia. In 1991, the American Academy of Forensic Sciences (AAFS) asked that she define the practice of forensic nursing and establish a place for forensic nurses in the org