UNE's Polly Campbell wins prestigious international award

A University of New England nurse was recently awarded the esteemed Kim Day Service Award from the International Association of Forensic Nurses (IAFN).

Polly Campbell, B.S., B.A., RN, who joined the UNE School of Nursing and Population Health in 2019 as director of the Advanced Nursing Education Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (ANE-SANE) Program, received the 2023 award recognizing her continued volunteer contributions to IAFN and dedication to improving health outcomes for sexual assault survivors through advocacy, education, and training services for health professionals in Maine.

“Polly exhibits remarkable commitment in all her ventures,” said Mary Ann Ordelt, IAFN board member and UNE regional coordinator of the ANE-SANE program, who nominated Campbell for the award and presented it to her on Wednesday, July 19, during a reception in Arthur P. Girard Innovation Hall on UNE’s Portland Campus.

As director for ANE-SANE, Campbell supports the training and education of nurses to become sexual assault nurse examiners (SANE). The program, created in collaboration between UNE and Maine’s Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Office of Child and Family Services SAFE Program, aims to enhance the number of examiners and extend the geographical reach of SANE to underserved areas. 

Before UNE, Campbell was the director of Maine’s SAFE Program for 16 years, where she was responsible for the education, training, and technical assistance of Sexual Assault Forensic Examiners (SAFE), health care providers who care for patients who have suffered sexual or interpersonal violence and assist sexual assault response teams. In addition to direct service with victims of abuse and violence, Campbell has coordinated statewide education, training, and service programs that brought together professionals from law enforcement, health care, social work, and other disciplines to better meet the needs of survivors of violence and abuse.

“Polly is an ideal ambassador for survivors of interpersonal violence and forensic nurses, whether she is teaching at UNE or the State of Maine SAFE course, offering expert testimony, assisting with nationwide forensic nurse program development, providing forensic nurse input at the Maine Homicide Review Panel, or serving on the board of the Elder Abuse Institute of Maine. Throughout the nation, many consider Polly a fierce but compassionate warrior,” Ordelt said.

Jennifer Morton, D.N.P., dean of UNE’s Westbrook College of Health Professions, noted in her nomination materials that, “Polly creates an environment of safety and has inspired countless numbers of other passionate nurses to follow in her footsteps. [Her] steadfast commitment to survivors, and those who care for them, in Maine and beyond is a career marker and achievement deserving of such an award.

“She has truly made a difference,” Morton said.

From 2007 to 2010, Campbell served as president of the IAFN Three Mountains Chapter for Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont. In 2008, she served on IFAN’s awards committee and has since served as president and member of the association’s board of directors, including board liaison to the Ethics Committee and Committee on Forensic Nursing Certification and chair of the Social Justice Committee.

Campbell currently serves on the Maine Domestic Violence Homicide Review Panel, Maine Elder Death and Serious Injury Analysis Review Team, Maine Sex Trafficking and Exploitation Network, Maine Coalition Against Sexual Assault Child Advocacy Center (CAC) Provider Council, and the Androscoggin CAC Multi-Disciplinary Team.

“Polly’s contributions to IAFN, both within the state of Maine and globally, reflect her remarkable commitment to advancing the specialty of forensic nursing, which ultimately benefits survivors of violence,” said Ashley Stewart, M.S.N., RPN, IAFN president. “We have been the privileged beneficiary of her leadership skills and passion for her profession, which have been invaluable to IAFN for more than 15 years. I am thrilled to honor Polly for her career-long dedication and achievement.”