Inside Forensic Nursing Programs and Their Education

There are various Forensic Nursing programs available. Forensic Nursing is one of the rarer fields of nursing. A Forensic Nurse is specialized in three very different fields. Unlike regular nurses Forensic nurses have experience in the collection of forensic evidence, legal testimony, and criminal procedures. Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners make up the largest portion of Forensic Nursing.

Forensic nurses can be employed in hospitals or within law enforcement agencies. They can even become self employed as legal consultants for law firms, or run their own office with the purpose of examining rape victims, brought in by police.

What Forensic Nursing Programs Teach

Forensic Nursing programs are currently in high demand. Forensic Nursing programs specialize in educating their students with strong investigative skills, legal and medical skills.  While traditional nurses only need to specialize in the medical field, Forensic Nurses must actively associate themselves with criminal cases, therefore their training and education must be based on all three fields.

Forensic Nursing programs teach their students on the procedures of examining a rape victim, and making the first analysis on patients that come into the ER with suspicious injuries. Forensic Nursing programs are essential in the criminal justice field.  Together with police, Forensic Nurses can help make a determination, on whether or not an accident that caused injury was really an accident.

Types of Sexual Assault Forensic Nursing Programs

There are two different kinds of Forensic Nurses that specialize in sexual assault. Because there are two fields, universities and educational institutions offer different versions of Forensic Nursing programs. Becoming a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner, requires significantly less time than completing Forensic Nursing programs, that end in a masters or certificate. It only takes the completion of a five day 40 contact hour course.

Forensic Nurses specializing in sexual assault are divided into two categories.  Adult and adolescent rape victims, require a different nurse examiner than infants and small children.  Upon graduation the nurse’s title will either be Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner-Adult/Adolescent (SANE-A) or Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner-Pediatric (SANE-P).

Institutions That Offer Forensic Nursing Programs

There are 36 graduate and certificates programs listed on the IAFN website.  Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing offers Forensic Nursing Programs.  Vanderbilt University School of Nursing, the University of Washington School of Nursing, and the Duquesne University School of Nursing, are among the most recognized institutions that offer Forensic Nursing programs.

Their other online courses that can be taken, that can provide flexibility to the student.  Kaplan University and Fitchburg State College are among the institutions that offer online courses.  Online courses are usually preferred by working students, who wish to go to school fulltime, but can usually only attend school at night.

Forensic Nursing programs are also offered through certain organizations.  Hospitals, local law enforcement agencies, and even state law enforcement agencies offer Forensic Nursing programs.  The job market for a Forensic Nurse is minuscule compared to that of a Registered Nurse.  But Forensic Nurses are essential parts of the justice system, and will be sought out by hospitals and criminal justice agencies as long as crime exists.

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