Meet the nurses who respond to Madison’s darkest moments
The Cap Times | February 3, 2026
Athena Christophersen ’21 is part of a small but dedicated team of three full-time forensic nurses and five part-time nurses at UnityPoint Health-Meriter Hospital. The team, one of only a few in the state, provides support, medical care and evidence collection for survivors of sexual assault, human trafficking, domestic violence and abuse.
Since the nurses are often interacting with people who’ve been intentionally injured in some way that removes the patient’s autonomy, Christophersen and the other nurses work hard to make sure the person’s decision-making power is returned to them.
“I essentially don’t make decisions for patients. It’s led by them, and I just offer specific options based on what they tell me and what’s appropriate, and then they choose, which is very different from the inpatient setting that I’m used to,” Christophersen said.