What Is Forensic Nursing and How Can You Take up a Career in Forensic Nursing?

Throughout the world, victims of violence, abuse and crime need the care of a qualified health professional trained to treat the trauma associated with the wrong done to them. Forensic nurses are a critical resource for all anti-violence efforts. They play an important role in the team of forensic health professionals by collecting evidence and giving testimony that can later be used to apprehend perpetrators of violence and abuse.

Violence is a pervasive and growing social and health problem, and forensic nurses are the link between the health system and the law. Forensic nursing is a field that may be for you if you have a deep empathy for victims and feel strongly that justice should prevail.

In this blog, we will highlight the most important things to know about forensic nursing so that you can get a clear picture of the field and all that it entails.

What is forensic nursing?

Forensic nursing is the application of nursing processes to public or legal proceedings and the application of forensic health care to the scientific investigation of trauma or abuse, criminal activity, violence and accidents. Previously, there was a specific field recognised as forensic nursing and the term used for this field was clinical forensic medicine. This is a term that describes the use of clinical practice to support legal proceedings to protect a victim, usually after a death has occurred.

Who is a forensic nurse?

A forensic nurse is a professional who works with victims of crime to gather medical evidence and provide expert testimony that can be used in court. To become a forensic nurse, you need to be a registered nurse and have specialised nursing training. It is a field that blends the world of nursing, science and the legal system.

What does a forensic nurse do?

In any given situation, a forensic nurse is the first healthcare professional to deal with a victim of violence or abuse. A forensic nurse's role is to assess and collect evidence from the perpetrators of the crime. The types of evidence collected may include digital photographs of injuries, samples of blood, semen, skin, hair, swabs, DNA analysis, clothing, bullets and more. A nurse's psychosocial skills are important in providing comfort, emotional support and education to victims and their families, particularly during the interview, physical examination and collection of evidence. Once the necessary evidence has been collected, the nurse either treats the injuries or refers the patient to the next level of care.

Where does a forensic nurse work?

Forensic nurses often work in hospitals, anti-violence programmes, coroners' and medical examiners' offices, psychiatric hospitals, and prisons. Forensic nurses may also be called upon to respond to mass disasters or community crisis situations. They may work alone, as part of a team, or be on call at any time of the day or night.

How to become a forensic nurse?

Degree in Nursing: The first and most important step in becoming a forensic nurse is to complete a registered nursing programme. You will need to obtain a four-year or three-year bachelor's degree in nursing.

RN Licence: The next step is to take the RN licensure exam. After graduation, you will need to pass the NCLEX, which is a nationwide exam for licensing nurses in Canada and the United States. After passing this exam, you can apply for a job as a registered nurse.

Experience: In forensic nursing, employers prefer nurses to have previous clinical nursing experience. A background in medical-surgical, paediatric or psychiatric nursing is a good start.

Certification: Certificate programmes can train a nurse in the unique skills required for forensic specialty nursing and include programmes in training or postgraduate departments of nursing schools. These programmes vary in length and may include an internship. The International Association of Forensic Nursing (IAFN) offers many certifications for forensic nurses, the most common of which is the Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) designation. Nurses must meet the eligibility criteria and possess at least two years of RN experience.

Advanced degree: Master's and doctoral programmes in forensic nursing are great options. These are some degrees that prepare nurses to work in teaching, research, clinical forensics, legal nurse consulting, forensic psychiatric nursing, and violence prevention programmes.

What is the salary and scope of Forensic Nursing in Canada?

The average salary for a forensic nurse in Canada is $76,752 per year, or $39.36 per hour. Entry level positions start at $74,323 per year and experienced workers earn up to $81,531 per year. Forensic nursing has a wide scope in Canada as it involves making a difference in the lives of survivors, while holding perpetrators accountable and working to keep communities safe.

Conclusion

Forensic nursing is a field that nurses can pursue without limiting their career options. Forensic nurses combine healthcare and criminal justice training in a specialised career. If you are interested to pursue a career in forensic nursing, get in touch with our experts at MWT Education Consultancy.