Michelle Shores
Pronouns: She, Her, Hers
Michelle Shores, RN, MSN, MBA-HC, CEN, SANE-A, SANE-P is a forensic nurse examiner and the Program Director for Palomar Health Forensic Services in San Diego County. The Forensic Health Services program is a nationally accredited child advocacy center that provides acute care services to victims of sexual assault and domestic violence. Michelle is one of sixteen board certified pediatric sexual assault nurse and one of forty-seven board certified adolescent/adult sexual assault nurse examiners in the state of California. Michelle has recently implemented a pilot program through a county grant at Forensic Health Services to perform 688 forensic medical evidentiary exams for victims of domestic violence, strangulation, general assault, and elder abuse.
Michelle graduated with her bachelor’s degree in nursing in 2005 and began working as an emergency department trauma nurse in 2006. In 2012 Michelle earned her master’s degree in nursing, master’s degree in business. Michelle was a clinical nursing instructor, is a certified emergency nurse, International Association of Forensic Nurse Board certified SANE-A (adolescent/adult) and SANE-P (pediatrics) and a certified trauma nurse instructor (TNCC). She has been a long standing member of the International Association for Forensic Nursing and is vice president for the southern California chapter, a member of the Academy of Forensic Nursing, and has worked as a forensic nurse for over six years. Michelle cares for pediatric, adolescent, and adult victims of sexual assault and domestic violence. She is the co-chair for the San Diego County Sexual Assault Response Team Steering Committee, the chair for the San Diego Domestic Violence Council Medical Committee, a member of the San Diego County High Risk Domestic Violence Team, a member of the Child Advocacy Centers of California (CACC) state advisory committee, and the president of the California Sexual Assault Forensic Examiners Association (CAL SAFE). In 2018, she introduced the idea for AB 3189 along with the CAL SAFE team. AB 3189 is a bill that provides minor victims of Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) the right to consent to medical care and forensic exams in the state of California. Michelle has worked with the California Clinical Forensic Medical Training Center (CCFMTC) team to provide training to examiners. Michelle is a contributor for the workbook Manual Non-Fatal Strangulation Assessment: For Healthcare and First Responders and Adolescent and Adult Sexual Assault Assessment, Second Addition. She is the 2017 winner on the San Diego County SART with a HEART Award, the 2018 Riverside County SART Nurse of the Year award, the 2018 San Diego Domestic Violence Council Lifetime Achievement award, November 2018 CARE award that recognized her as a leader in the community and excellence as a forensic nurse examiner. Also, the 2014 nationally recognized DAISY Award, by the family of J. Patrick Barnes foundation which recognized Michelle’s extraordinary nursing care as” intuitive in assessing what type of needs a patient has beyond their physical presentation … strong advocate for women, children and victims of assault … patients, family, and staff trust Michelle because of her commitment to providing outstanding patient care.”
Michelle is married and is the mother of two boys. She enjoys collaborating with the multidisciplinary team and the exam can be the victim’s voluntary first step toward healing and justice. The forensic exam gives the victim back their power in hopes they leave on the road to survival.