Do I need a BSN?

[nurse2bmom]

I am currently an LVN and former military police investigator for the Marine Corps. I am about to start an RN program and was interested in finding a way to combine nursing and law enforcement, which is what brought me here. My questions are: Can you get into forensic nursing with just an ADN or do you have to have a BSN? Also, my degree will be from a private college, not public school, so, will I have a hard time getting into forensic programs? Thanks!

[a4n6nurse]

If you do a search here this topic has been addressed in the past. But here goes;

1. Never "just an ADN".

2. I am a proud ADN, I am also a FNE A/P, a forensic examiner for our OCME, and a flight nurse. I also work for a number of attornies performing chart reviews and expert work.

3. Your initial degree is important, but in my experience it is more important what you do in your field after the inital degree. I have just about every alphabet listing after my name, and that seems to hold more weight than my initial degree.

4. I have NEVER been denied expert status on the stand.

I encourage you to go as far as you want to in your education. For some nurses 3 letters "feel" better than 2. Don't hold yourself back though based on your perception of someone elses ideas. For an advanced degree in forensics then of course you will need to follow the academic highway.

Good Luck