Forensic Nursing Houston, TX Area

[BNChapa]

Hello!

I am in my first year of nursing (10 months) and I am looking to further my education. I am extremely interested in forensic nursing and I’m in search of someone to talk to about the process of becoming a forensic nurse in Texas. I realize there are a couple of different routes that I can take, but I’m not sure how hard it is to get into this field of nursing. I also want to know if there is anything I could be doing now that can better my chances of securing a job doing this in the future. 
 

Thank you! 

[FNErnconnie, ADN, BSN, RN]

Hello! So glad you're interested in this field ?

Once you finish nursing school and have your license your first step would be to obtain your SANE/FNE education. It's the minimum requirement for getting into forensic nursing in most states if not all. TX has a lot of programs as well as a lot of education for forensic nurses. I hear a lot of people give the advice of volunteering as an advocate as a way to get into the field or other such volunteer opportunities. If that's something that works for you then you should look into that. That was not my career path into forensic nursing. I knew that I wanted to work in this field so I approached a local hospital forensic program director and spent a semester with them while completing my BSN. Not all programs will have someone that you can shadow, etc. but networking and building those connections are important. Consider getting into a field of nursing where you may have some initial exposure to forensic cases such as in the ED, Urgent Care, L&D, or Peds. When I'm hiring for my program I notice that a lot of applicants have a background in these areas and have usually had some type of exposure to forensic cases through these areas and that's what prompts their initial interest.

Getting the education is first though. Depending on what state you're in, they might offer the education for free, you may have an employer that is willing to pay for it, or you may have to pay for it yourself.

Good luck with all of your schooling!