Forensic Nursing
Begin your journey to becoming a Forensic Nurse by exploring our Forensic Nursing school information, job descriptions and salary data.
Begin your journey to becoming a Forensic Nurse by exploring our Forensic Nursing school information, job descriptions and salary data.
Find state-by-state information regarding expected salaries for Forensic Nurses, as well as information regarding potential job growth.
Learn what it takes to become a Forensic Nurse. Explore detailed listings of online Forensic Nursing schools to find the one that best meets your needs.
Educate yourself about what a Forensic Nurse actually does. Learn about the day to day life of a Forensic Nurse and the skills, knowledge and abilities necessary to succeed in the field of Forensic Nursing.
Forensic nursing is involved in the criminal investigation process as it pertains to the medical field, including working with accident investigation, crime victims, and sexual assault victims. Forensic nursing begins with a general registered nursing degree and adapts into crime victims and the criminal justice system.
The best online forensic nursing schools should either possess regional or national accreditation from an accrediting body that is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
In addition, you can often recognize top online forensic nursing schools based on:
The following levels of forensic nursing degree online programs are available:
The amount of time it takes a student to earn an accredited online forensic nursing degree depends on the level of forensic nursing degree being pursued and the pace of the student.
Typically, the breakdown is as follows:
A prospective forensic nurse in an online forensic nursing degree program will be required to take basic courses as well as have opportunities to specialize their studies. Some courses that could be required include the following:
Forensic nursing can be broken down into areas of specialization as forensic nursing professionals become concentrated on certain areas of crime. Some specializations that could be found would include the following:
Forensic nurses have a variety of forensic nursing professions, depending upon area of interest and workplace setting. Forensic nurses with the best online forensic nursing degrees can find employment in multiple forensic nursing professions, including the following:
Forensic nurses with accredited online forensic nursing degrees are registered nurses who work in the criminal field. They process and analyze evidence pertaining to medical aspects of a crime.
Forensic nurses from the best online forensic nursing degree programs are called upon to note injuries, state of mind, evidence on a victim, and physical issues in a victim that could be used as evidence in a crime. Forensic nurses often work with victims of crime and criminal justice professionals to assemble a case. They can be called upon to testify in court.
Forensic nurses who graduate from top online forensic nursing schools can earn between $57,060 and $68,160 with a bachelor’s degree, and can expect income and professional status to increase with graduate degrees. Growth prospects for a forensic nurse is about 22% through the year 2018. This higher than average growth is due to the increased need to replace experienced nurses who leave the occupation, and the general size of the occupation.
Each accredited online forensic nursing school has requirements for how to become a forensic nurse, so it is important to check with your chosen institution. In general, a forensic nurse needs to have an RN designation before concentrating on the forensic field. An individual can obtain an RN designation through an accredited nursing program. In addition to coursework, most popular online forensic nursing degrees include internships or other means of direct work with victims of crime. Forensic nurses need about 40 additional credit hours for forensics certification.
The term “forensic nurse” seems to belong in a movie or television show where viewers would expect to see an attractive, brilliant nurse spending all of their time involved in deep investigation, piecing together the identity of a murderer with only faint clues from the victim’s fingernails and saliva. Although their identity is often glamorized [...]
The International Association of Forensic Nurses website is a good resource for those thinking about a career in forensic nursing. The website is designed for current workers, providing an international forum of information, continuing education, curriculum, tips, and forensic nurse conventions.
The American Forensic Nurses FAQ page provides answers to the some of the most commonly asked questions concerning the field of forensic nurses.
Nursing World is part of the American Nurses Association, considered the largest nursing organization in the US. The website provides numerous resources for current professionals and potential candidates alike, such as career advice, current news, links to other useful websites.
The University of Tennessee Health Science Center Forensic Nursing web page has links to several different forensic nursing programs, and information of the specialties within forensic nursing. This page will be particularly useful to a student who is choosing a specific area of concentration, or is searching for the strongest nursing programs.