Forensic nurses provide compassionate care to
victims of violent crime, abuse, or neglect while gathering evidence to support
law enforcement. By doing this, they play a vital role in both our healthcare
and criminal justice systems. Forensic nurses may also facilitate their
communities by operating side by side with pathologists and coroners to spot
correct causes of death and ensure correct reporting of vital statistics and
medicine trends.
Legal Nurse
Consultant?
Many
people wouldn't think of legal nurse consulting as a forensic
specialty, but then again, it is the combination of nursing and the law, which
fits the description of nursing forensics in any legal case where medical
problems are involved, nurse consultants could be considered to be practicing
forensics. Some forensic nurses work more directly as personal consultants for
law firms or victim support teams. By working as a legal consultant, you will
help treat the patient, but also help the law firm build a case in favour of
their client. You will generally need a couple years of experience working with
trauma patients before you can take this kind of expertise-based position.
Roles &
Responsibilities
·
Crime
victims face a higher risk of post-traumatic stress disorder, depression,
suicide, and medical complications than other patients; forensic nurses improve
each legal outcomes and quality of life for these patients.
·
Forensic
nurses also assist in providing professional insight to potential causes of
patient injuries in situations in which witnesses are unavailable.
·
Prior
to beginning an examination, forensic nurses should receive consent from the
patient. Additionally to documenting obvious injuries, forensic nurses
specialize in looking for refined signs of assault, like petechial, voice
changes, and loss of internal organ or bladder function
·
Forensic
nurses document patient injuries through tools as well as cameras, measuring
tapes, fluid swabs, rape kits, and a high-powered light which will reveal
hard-to-see bruises and fluids like seminal fluid, urine, or saliva.
·
They
document every injury for potential use as evidence in a later court case,
where they may be called as an expert witness to testify to the injuries.
·
Forensic
nurses are responsible for educating a patient on his or her rights. More
specifically, forensic nurses go through coaching to be ready to perceive and
treat differing kinds of trauma that is experienced by many different types of
people.
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