Forensic Nursing

Forensic nursing is somewhat of a new field in nursing, and one that is making headway as an important aspect to health and legal proceedings. As crime continues to occur and increase over time, victims and police will need more forensic nurses to administer aid and assist in criminal cases. Not all hospitals or clinics have a forensic nurse examiner, because of the high costs to create and maintain a new department in hospitals or care clinics. Instead, many forensic nurses that join a hospital will end up being on-call or work part time. Many forensic nurses go on to become community educators or counselors, teaching the public about public safety, violence and health precautions.

Because forensic nursing is a small specialty within the registered nursing field, there is not as much data on its specific job and salary outlook. With the specialty’s growth and influence in nursing, there will be more information readily available in the future. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the demand for workers skilled in forensics is expected to increase. Competition is also keen for all forensic jobs, due to the popularity of the work. Forensic nurses will become more valuable in the legal system, as well as the primary care provider to injured victims. Together, this combination of law and medicine has and will continue to make great things happen for victims.

Forensic nurses’ salaries vary by geographic location, workplace and individual qualifications. For a general idea of a forensic nursing salary, you can look at a registered nursing salary. According to the BLS, the median annual earnings of registered nurses were $57,280 in 2006. Forensic nursing is one of many specialties under the umbrella of registered nursing, so forensic nurses can expect to make the same amount or more than RNs because of their higher level of education. They can also increase their earning power by working independently as a legal nurse consultant or for insurance companies, where the pay tends to be higher. Overall, employment of registered nurses is expected to grow 23 percent from 2006 to 2016, which includes the specialties that add to the RN increase. The BLS states that there will be an additional growth in the number of jobs generated. This growth can be attributed to the technological advances in patient care, which allows more health problems to be treated, and an increasing emphasis on preventative care.