subject: How To Examine Crime Victims: The Forensic Nursing Job Description [print this page] How To Examine Crime Victims: The Forensic Nursing Job Description
Examining victims of sexual assaults as well as training colleagues on how to treat violently injured patients is the focus of the forensic nursing job description. Forensic nurses can also be called on to do counselling for juveniles who have been arrested or convicted of crimes involving firearms, or even testify in court cases. Other forensic nurses can also work as consultants. The forensic nurses are also required to participate in the collection of evidence more often than not. In most cases, the work demands to assist victims of sexual assaults. Founded by a group of nurses in 1992, the International Association of Forensic Nurses (IAFN) specializes on sexual assault examinations. The description of a forensic nursing job first requires that the student be a Registered Nurse before applying for this course.
Beyond this requirement, all students who want to become a forensic nurse would have to complete 40 hours of didactics and clinical work, as well as be trained in the collection and handling of hair, DNA, fibers and other substantial evidence. It is also needed to be an expert in giving a sworn testimony in court as the court may call upon a forensic nurse to be an expert witness on a case that he or she is handling. Being able to use the equipment such as a digital camera, and omnichrome and coloscope is also important for your forensic nursing job description to have an experience, if not mastery, on. Hospital emergency rooms are the common assignments of forensic nurses. These nurse examiners will need to be an expert on collecting evidence left on the body of the victim as they are rushed in the ER.
Being able to expertly remove the victim's clothing and preserving these as evidence are also required of the forensic nursing job description. Your area of specialty as a forensic nurse would determine the expected duties that you can do depending on your field of choice. A growing field in the area of forensic medicine is forensic nursing. Many opportunities are opening up for nurses who would like to get additional learning in their chosen field. Many nursing programs have started to offer forensic nursing training to respond to the growing demand for such expertise.
