Forensic Nurse

Virginia Lynch is known as the mother of forensic nursing. In 1982 she got the chance to visit a crime lab multiple times. Her interest made her become an emergency nurse. She noticed, “evidence, such as clothing, specimens, records or personal items were often lost, discarded or returned to family instead of secured and handed over to authorities” (“ Advance Healthcare Network for Nurses”). Lynch soon learned that most perpetrators would not be caught, due to the loss of evidence. She worked with the crime lab director to create a line of nurses that would provide comfort along with preserving evidence. This new career in the forensic science field, would be known as forensic nursing, and was recognized by the American Nurses Credentialing Center in 2012.
There are a few ways to obtain the education of a forensic nurse. One way is personnel must be a registered nurse before becoming a forensic nurse. In order to be a registered nurse, a bachelor's degree must be obtained. To become a forensic nurse after that, more specific classes along with hands on training must be done. More specifically to be a sexual assault nurse examiner, a forty hour class must be taken, along with forty hours of clinical training. Another option of becoming a forensic nurse is to find a school
They can provide a testimony in court based on their victim’s behavior or actions. The police can use forensic nurses for comfort during an investigation. Some everyday jobs of a forensic nurse include documenting evidence and storing that evidence. They can also perform tests, and evaluate a patient’s injuries. They can then send those tests to DNA Analysts or Serologists for conclusive tests. Being educated as a nurse, a forensic nurse can study the minutiae of the victim’s body to tell if they have any signs of external trauma. Although forensic nurses are not criminal investigators, they do investigate causes of the injury or