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Overview:
Forensic nurses work with law enforcement officials as well
as perpetrators and victims of crime. The specialty includes
death investigators, correctional nurses, nurse attorneys,
domestic violence specialists, human rights advocates and
sexual assault nurse examiners. Duties may include collection
of clinical evidence, determination of origin or circumstances
of trauma, evaluation and alleviation of crime victims’ injuries
and rehabilitation of criminals.
Typical
venues: correctional facilities, community health centers,
psychiatric facilities, hospitals, public health departments,
law firms
Education:
active RN licensure
Job
outlook: Nursing as a whole will be one of the top 10
fastest growing professions in the United States in the next
decade, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Opportunities:
As the incidence of violent crime increases, the need
for forensic nurses expands as well.
Challenges:
danger in working with violent offenders
For
more information:
International
Association of Forensic Nurses
East Holly
Ave., Box 56
Pitman,
N.J. 08071-0056
Phone:
(856) 256-2425
Fax: (856)
589-7463
www.forensicnurse.org
Related
features on the NurseWeek Web site:
Safe
and SANE: Forensic nurses gather evidence to aid sexual assault
survivors
http://www.nurseweek.com/news/features/00-06/sane.html
Mail
order and online continuing education courses http://www.nurseweek.com/career/homstudy.html)
Salary
Wizard (http://www.nurseweek.com/salary/index.html)
Job
Search (http://www.nurseweek.com/jobs/jobsearch.asp)
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