Forensic Nurse Careers

Interest in forensic nurse careers is continuing to grow, given that statistics show there will be a demand for more trained professionals within the next 10 years. The reason for the demand is that the field of forensic nursing is fairly new in the nursing industry, having only been recognized as a specialty of nursing since 1995. Thus, a forensic nursing career is one with huge potential for the future.

So, what exactly does a forensic nurse do? Forensic nurses take charge of investigating the causes of mortality or death in many different settings. Their responsibilities include:

• Collection of evidence from the suspect and victim
• Testifying in court using evidence gathered as a fact witness or as an expert witness
• Conducting forensic photography
• Serving as a bridge between the legal and health care systems

A forensic nurse should be skillful in making observations, documentations, and preservation of all evidences, which can help solve a criminal case. When a victim is brought in to the emergency room, you spring into action. Working with law enforcement officers, you will be able to comfort the victim, get the details and collect the evidence which help solves the crime. Forensic nursing is a broad science that covers sub-specialties like sexual assault, death investigation, psychiatric care, and medical-legal consultations. The various types of forensic nurses include:

  * Forensic Clinical Nurse Specialist
  * Forensic Nurse Investigator
  * Nurse Coroner or Death Investigator
  * Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner
  * Legal Nurse Consultant
  * Forensic Gerontology Specialist
  * Forensic Psychiatric Nurse
  * Correctional Nursing Specialist

How to Become a Forensic Nurse

For you to become a forensic nurse, you must have at least be a resident nurse and complete the training regimen. This includes specialized training in the classroom as well as 40 hours of didactics and 40 hours of clinical work.

For those who want to specialize to become a SANE or sexual assault nurse examiner, part of the training focuses on handling and collecting evidence like fibers, hairs and fluids which are collected for DNA testing. You will also need to learn how to use the equipment which these professionals use, such as a digital camera or a colposcope, which can detect bruising underneath the skin’s surface.

For a list of some top forensic nursing schools, many of them taught online, go to our page on forensic nursing programs

Synonyms:  nursin, nusing, nuring, nurseing and nusring are typos for "nursing."