The online Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program from The University of Texas at Arlington (UTA) provides the tools, knowledge and skills to pursue a wide variety of specialized nursing careers. One such specialty is that of the forensic nurse — a unique nursing career path that can be both challenging and very rewarding.
According to the American Nurses Association (ANA), “A forensic nurse works at the intersection of nursing and the criminal justice system to provide nursing care to victims.” Officially established as a specialty in 1995, the field of forensic nursing grows continuously, occupying a crucial role where healthcare and law enforcement overlap. A forensic nurse has the specialized knowledge and skills to collect and preserve evidence, identify signs of abuse and testify as an expert witness. They are an asset to both the healthcare community and the justice system.
What Is the Role of a Forensic Nurse?
The forensic nurse generally treats patients who are injured as a result of a violent or sexual crime. The nurse gathers and records evidence to help law enforcement find the perpetrator and prosecute them. Forensic nurses also look into accidental deaths to assist in determining the cause.
Forensic nurses work long hours of varying shifts. Typically, they are always on call, so they may have to attend to a patient or investigate a fatality at any time.
When forensic nurses examine an individual, they look for indications of an attack. If nurses detect that a crime occurred, they will do the following:
- Stay calm and reassure the individual
- Evaluate the injuries
- Provide care, if needed
- Collect blood, tissue and fluid samples and any other useful evidence
- Photograph and document bruises, cuts, scrapes, wounds or marks found on the body
What Types of Patients Do Forensic Nurses Assess and Treat?
Forensic nurses assess and treat individuals who are victims of crimes, including the following:
- Assault
- Battery
- Child Abuse
- Domestic abuse
- Neglect
- Sexual assault
Where Do Forensic Nurses Work?
Forensic nurses fulfill a critical role in healthcare that spans a wide variety of settings. The most common place for forensic nurses to work is in hospital emergency rooms and urgent care centers, where a high number of patients are crime victims. However, forensic nurses may also work in an array of other environments, such as:
- Correctional facilities: Forensic nurses do not just care for victims of crime. Forensic nurses in correctional facilities also take care of prisoners. Because a large segment of the prison population is entering the later stages of life, there is a need for forensic nurses to provide treatment for chronic conditions. Other responsibilities include treating acute illnesses, performing checkups, educating prisoners about health and investigating injuries related to altercations within correctional facilities.
- Medical examiners’ or coroners’ offices: Forensic nurses in these environments may be responsible for collecting evidence for law enforcement cases that interface with the medical examiners’ office as well as duties like certification of death and report completion.
- Psychiatric departments at state facilities: Employment for forensic nurses in psychiatric settings usually happens through a state civil service system associated with the Department of Public Welfare or similar agencies. Criminal offenders may be admitted to state facilities by court order. Forensic nurses evaluate and treat them before they return to court for sentencing.
- Schools: Nurses in schools intervene and notify authorities when they observe abuse or neglect. They can also educate students about preventing violence.
- Trauma centers: Trauma centers may want a forensic nurse as part of a crisis intervention team. Generally, a team of healthcare professionals works with families and potential donors. Forensic nurses understand the legalities of organ donation and the medical criteria behind them. In addition, forensic nurses know how to offer emotional support to distressed families and patients.
Are There Forensic Nursing Specialties?
Forensic nurses can specialize in a specialized area of the field, many of which intersect with the forensic nursing environments discussed above. A forensic nurse may consider becoming one of the following:
- Correctional nurse specialist: A correctional nurse specialist provides healthcare to incarcerated adult and juvenile offenders. They administer care, conduct physical exams and dispense medication.
- Legal nurse consultant: Legal nurse consultants work with attorneys on civil cases that merge medicine and law. They research, interpret and scrutinize medical information that pertains to a legal case. Some cases may include medical malpractice, personal injury, workers’ compensation and probate.
- Nurse coroner or death investigator: Nurse coroners or death investigators inspect crime scenes. In the event of a suspicious death, a nurse coroner will analyze the location to estimate a time and cause of death.
- Forensic nurse investigator: Forensic nurse investigators often work with coroners to investigate unexpected, accidental or violent deaths. To judge the cause of death, the nurse collects evidence at the scene, studies the body and assists with the autopsy.
- Forensic psychiatric nurse: Forensic psychiatric nurses treat criminal offenders who have psychological, social and behavioral disorders, and they provide them with rehabilitative care. Additionally, they help victims heal medically and emotionally. They also aid colleagues who experience mental stress from caring for victims of violent crimes.
- Sexual assault nurse examiner: Nurses who render care to victims of rape or other forms of sexual assault may seek certification as a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE). These nurses amass evidence that can be used to arrest and prosecute the attacker. A SANE-certified nurse presents evidence in court and acts as an expert witness in sexual assault cases.
What Education Do You Need to Become a Forensic Nurse?
The recommended level of education for a forensic nurse is a BSN. Once a working or aspiring nurse completes an accredited nursing program like UTA’s, they can sit for the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-RN) to become a licensed RN. After working as an RN for a few years, taking continuing education courses and participating in clinical work geared toward forensic nursing, nurses can pursue certification in one of the specialties.
Forensic nursing is important because nurses in this specialty not only provide care to traumatized victims of crime, but they also work as advocates and educators to prevent violent offenses. A forensic nurse’s ability to apply their specialized knowledge to legal proceedings is an asset to victims. The forensic nurse’s testimony can make a difference between criminal perpetrators being set free or serving time.
Learn about UTA’s online BSN program.
