Forensic Nurse wannabe!!

You would get more experience in the ER for forensics...............that is where you will witness things firsthand, by the time that they get to the trauma unit, they have usually gone to surgery, or have multiple other procedures already completed.

Forensics deals with initial visualization of a wound or orifice. Once it has been treated, your evidence is destroyed. That is one of the reasons that so many pictures are taken.

The trauma unit is great for experience as a nurse, but for specific forensic things, the ER is much better. That is where most lacerations are repaired, gun shot wounds can be seen close up before they go to the OR.

I remember in the old days when we would have contests to figure out the the size of the gun before the police arrived and confirmed our thoughts.

I know this sounds trite, but, you can view CSI (any of them) and see exactly what happens before the body is even taken to the morgue. (I know I know.......TV is TV). It gives one the idea of what goes on before anything is done to it. I find this field very interesting, too.

Working in the ED is great experience.

Let us know how things turn out for you.

Susan,

The nurses who directed you to go to the ER to do forensic nursing are correct in saying that this is the place to go to really get hands on. However, in reading your replies I perceive That you are not quite comfortable in going straight into the ER right out of school. The trauma unit sounds like a great place to get your first year of nursing down and to gain confidence in your assessment skills.

I have been a nurse for a bit over two years. I went into nursing school knowing, like you, that I wanted to do forensic nursing. I also understood the value of being patient and learning how to be a nurse before trying to specialize. And so, for the past two years I have worked in med-surg, worked in sub-acute and long-term care (where I learned more about the natural process of dying than I would have anywhere else). On the forensic side of things, I worked part-time as a case manager in a domestic violence shelter and gained a state certification as a domestic violence crisis counselor. I took courses at my local community college in Criminal Justice (CJ) and learned about Rules of Evidence,and Criminal Law,, and Forensic Science. I re-certified as an EMT and gained experience responding to 911s. I also joined my State Chapter of the International Association of Forensic Nurses (IAFN) and became an active member doing whatever needed doing.

I am now finally becoming what I have been working towards. I just accepted my first ER position (and I can say that I am finally ready for that experience) and I have also been tentatively accepted into the MSN program at Quinnipiac University in the Clinical Forensic Nurse Specialist track (I still have one more course to go on my BS in Criminal Justice and formal acceptance in contingent on finishing that last course this fall). And I have become involved in the IAFN on an international basis, receiving an invitation to be a part of the planning committee for the Scientific Assembly.

I have told you all of this so that you have some ideas on what you can do to realize your dream. There is no right or wrong way to go about becoming a forensic nurse. Just research it out, see what opportunities lie around you, volunteer, and take classes and courses. And read anything and everything on forensic nursing. I would strongly recommend taking a few CJ courses so that you have an understanding of our Criminal Justice system and how it works. Most people don't really understand how it works.

Please let us know how it all works out. And the best of luck on your boards! Denise