The Challenging Field Of Forensic Nursing

Anyone who has spent any time watching television police or court room dramas is

probably familiar with the forensic experts that regularly provide evidence derived for clues left a crime scene. One area of forensic science that has not received much attention until recent years is that of forensic nursing - a new nursing specialty that meshes traditional nursing techniques with those of law enforcement detective work. For anyone with dual interests in both health care and law enforcement, forensic nursing offers the best of both worlds.

Forensic nurses are responsible for examining physical evidence found at many crime scenes, and also provide important treatment for the victims of many violent offenses. This treatment involves both physical care in the wake of a crime and emotional support as well. Growing in popularity around the country, forensic nursing is also receiving more notice from the courts, which now regard them in much the same way they view other forensic experts.

In many ways, forensic nurses can be even more valuable to a police investigation than other forensic experts. For example, the presence of a forensic nurse at the scene of a crime allows for competent treatment of any potential victim wounds, while still maintaining the integrity of the crime scene they will help to investigate. Serving in this dual capacity enables forensic nursing practitioners to avoid the crime scene contamination that often occurs in situations that require the intervention of multiple teams of law enforcement, health care, and investigative personnel.

Forensic nursing is extremely versatile, and offers nurses a multitude of different avenues in which to use their talents and training. These nurses can specialize even further by focusing in areas of death investigation, sexual violence, or other specific avenues of investigation. Some work within the correctional departments of various states, investigating crimes that have been committed by incarcerated prisoners, while others work as nurse consultants for the legal and insurance industries.

Forensic nursing requires individuals to be able to maintain composure under stressful conditions. These nurses often deal with the aftermath of extremely violent situations, exposing themselves to the worst forms of human behavior imaginable. In some cases, the patients seen by a forensic nurse are unwilling to talk - as in cases of sexual assault in which the victim is too frightened to offer any information. Other times, the victim is simply unable to talk - usually due to death - and the forensic nurse must act in concert with his or her team to decipher the available evidence and determine what caused the death.

Most forensic nursing practitioners serve as Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners, and are responsible for collecting important but sensitive evidence while also handling the emotional issues with which every sexual assault victim must cope. SANE nurses have one of the most sensitive jobs in all of nursing, as the ultimate goal of their work is to collect the evidence necessary to get to the truth of the assault, while avoiding any additional emotional trauma that the intervention may cause to the patient.

by: Karen Williams

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