AFN Board Member Christine Foote-Lucero, MSN, RN has been named 2023 Magnet Nurse of the Year in the category of Structural Empowerment by the University of Colorado Hospital. Of her 20 years of nursing experience, she has spent 16 years as a nurse manager with UCHealth.

In 2017, Foote-Lucero developed the Forensic Nurse Examiner Program, which has become a model program for forensics programs across the United States. In addition to her work with AFN, she is a four-time board-certified nurse, has been published multiple times, and speaks at the national and local level on forensic nursing.

According to UCHealth, Foote-Lucero has worked to change statewide legislation and testified at the Colorado capital to create additional options and resources for those affected by violence. “Her testimony has aided in the passing of HB17-1322 and HB21-1165, bills providing the framework for domestic violence reporting and expanding the use of victim’s compensation funds to victims of strangulation,” said a statement from UCHealth on Foote-Lucero’s latest recognition.

The statement continues: “Christine’s dedication to the local community, the state of Colorado, and the nurses in the FNE program are awe-inspiring and unparalleled. Her passion for this patient population is contagious, and she mentors her team to fight for those affected by violence with the same rigor. Christine’s life’s work has made a tremendous impact in the field of forensic nursing and on the lives of those affected by violence.”

The 2023 Magnet Nurse of the Year award at the University of Colorado Hospital was presented to five recipients in five categories. Foote-Lucero was nominated for the distinction along with hundreds of other nurses.