Forensic Nursing: It’s Not (Just) What You See on TV

• In forensic nursing, practitioners work at the intersection of health services, trauma-informed care, and the legal system. 
• The scope of work in forensic nursing goes beyond what’s typically depicted on crime procedurals. 
• Consider being a forensic nurse if you love providing quality patient care, making a difference in someone’s health, and working with clinical and non-clinical staff regarding patient care outcomes. 

People often think forensic nurses look at bloody scenes all day and go into a lab all night. But the reality is that the scope of work can truly depend on where you work and the population you serve.

Forensic nurses sit at the intersection of health services, trauma-informed care, and the legal system. Their role is critical in providing patient-centered, trauma-informed care and a legal, safe way for those who have experienced violence to receive quality nursing care. 

What Education Do I Need for Forensic Nursing?

Like all nurses, those who specialize in forensics are educated and trained in anatomy, physiology, pharmacology, and assessment. However, they care for patients who have experienced neglect, intimate partner violence (IPV), and other traumatic situations. 

Forensic nurses can be licensed practical nurses (LPNs), registered nurses (RNs), or advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs). Some will pursue additional certifications and trainings through university programs or institutions like the Forensic Nursing Certification Board.  

Still others work without additional formal education or training because of their on-the-job experience in trauma-informed care, such as working in correctional facilities or community crisis centers. Nurses often learn the essentials of evidence-based, compassionate care when treating those in marginalized situations like incarceration or after a disaster.  

Where Do Forensic Nurses Work?

 Forensic nurses often do not have a singular career path, as there are many routes to being a forensic nurse.

Common places of employment include: 

• Correctional facilities 
• Psychiatric hospitals 
• Public health departments  
• Nonprofit organizations 
• Domestic violence shelters 
• Military health services 
• Hospitals 
• Community health centers 

What’s it Really Like Working as a Forensic Nurse?

Forensic nurses can teach, work in management roles, and provide consulting services, among other opportunities. They also work on crisis intervention teams, emergency disaster response teams, and death investigations. 

Responsibilities differ based on the population being served. For example, a forensic nurse working with children who recently experienced abuse and neglect might have different duties compared to a nurse working with law enforcement on a death investigation scene. Since forensic nurses can work with all age groups, law enforcement, and legal teams, the day-to-day routine can vary.

TV is not always reality, but many forensic nurses do work alongside law enforcement, legal teams, patient care, and other clinical staff, making them pivotal to victim support and intervention. 

Despite the varied employment opportunities, common duties include:

• Providing quality evidence-based, trauma-informed care. 
• Collecting medical specimens and data as appropriate. 
• Ensuring the patient is respected and heard throughout the medical/legal processes. 
• Collaborating with clinical and nonclinical staff in patient and case evaluation. 
• Bringing a nursing perspective to care survivors of violence and trauma receive. 
• Administering medications. 
• Educating patients and staff as appropriate. 

How Do Forensic Nurses Provide Care to Trauma Survivors?

Providing care to trauma survivors is a skill that takes time and is often overlooked, dismissed, and understudied in health care facilities and nursing schools. Because accessing healthcare itself can be traumatic, let alone after a sexual assault or natural disaster, you need to ask yourself if you’re comfortable providing this type of care.

RELATED COURSE: Texas Nursing Forensics

Trauma-informed care can be formally studied through certifications, extracurricular training, and on-the-job training. That said, trauma-formed care with a culturally sensitive lens for the population you work with — such as children, the elderly, or the incarcerated — needs to be considered.

Contrary to popular belief, not all forensic nurses go to court. You might be employed by a hospital, whereas another forensic nurse could work for a public health department and be involved in community meetings regarding death scenes. 

Why Should I Consider a Career in Forensic Nursing?

Forensic nurses are often viewed as crime nurses who love looking at blood and helping others. While seen as key players in legal matters on TV shows, the reality is that many work across health care systems and never set foot in a courtroom.

Many also work behind the scenes to provide survivors of violence and trauma with the compassionate, evidence-based, trauma-informed care they deserve. You should consider being a forensic nurse if you love providing quality patient care, making a difference in someone’s health, and working with clinical and nonclinical staff regarding patient care outcomes. 

Because this job requires working with trauma survivors consistently, you must take care of yourself to avoid burnout, stress, and more. Nurses are the front line for patient care, and, sometimes, the only source of trauma-informed care a survivor will encounter in their healthcare experiences.

If you are considering being a forensic nurse, ask yourself if you’re truly passionate about trauma-informed care, social change, and compassion. 

The Bottom Line

If you are thinking about becoming a forensic nurse or learning more about the profession, I would recommend looking into the International Association of Forensics Nurses and the American Nurse Association. 

You can also learn about the great work of forensic nurses from the Journal of Academy of Forensic Nursing and the Journal of Issues in Nursing. 

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