Breaking The Silence - Forensic Nursing

By: Rosie Fletcher

It was in 1992 when the term Forensic nursing was heard. But what is it exactly? Forensic nursing is a specialty that deals with the management of crime victims, collecting evidence and providing health care services in the prison system. It is a combination of health care and judicial system profession to be precise. International Association of Forensic Nurses (IAFN) is the official association of nurses forensic created in 1992 by a team of nurses who specialize in examining sexual assault.

1. A Day In The Life

Contrary to popular belief forensic nurses do not spend their day hanging out with corpses. A review of sexual assault and training his colleagues how to treat violently injured patients eat most of these nurses days. Another work in conjunction with a forensic nurse is providing advice to students who have fired guns.

2. Training

Training as a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner is the entry-level position you need to get to break into forensic nursing. The nurse must be a registered nurse (RN) before being able to complete the specialized training necessary to meet the standards of IAFN. Forty hours of didactics and forty hours of clinical work are also needed. The nurse must be trained in handling and collecting evidence such as hair, fiber and fluid samples for DNA testing.

Forensic nursing is not limited to helping rape victims. Forensic nurses also work with other types of interpersonal violence including family violence, child and elder abuse, neglect and physiological, and psychological abuse. They could also examine victims of trauma or as a near-fatal shooting or stabbing.

Many forensic nurses work as inspectors nurse in emergency rooms in hospitals. In cases such as shooting or stabbing, the forensic nurse works in the collection of bullets and other debris left in the body that will help the investigation. Removal of clothing of the injured and storing them in special bags are also some of their tasks. They also photographed and measured the patients' wounds. If the victim dies, the nurse must work with the medical examiner (ME).

3. Other considerations

Nurses are entitled to court to testify in court as an expert witness or a fact witness. As an expert witness, the nurse is entitled to give notice to any witness in order to shed light on this matter. On the other hand, as a fact witness, the nurse is only to provide details and answer questions. A forensic nurse should state the information in an objective manner. That means he or she does not speak for or against the victim or the accused. As the duty required, the nurse has to give the information he or she has obtained, not to speculate on what he or she thinks happened.

4. Tools of the Trade

A forensic nurse should also know how to use various tools to document what he or she has collected during the examination or treatment.

- A digital camera
- A Omnichrome
- A colonoscope

To date, areas of expertise are related to forensic nursing. This includes a nurse specializing in forensic medicine, legal nurse investigator, nurse coroner or what is known as Death Investigator, Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE), nurse consultant, judicial gerontology specialist forensic psychiatric nurses and nurse Corrections specialized. Forensic nursing is a growing industry in the field of nursing. more nurses and others are attracted to him. The nursing schools are also taking note of this need. Forensic nursing programs are now offered in schools of nursing.

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