A legal nurse consultant, another sub specialty within the field of forensic nursing, is typically an office job. The legal nurse consultant is often employed by a law firm or insurance company, and reviews medical records and notes irregularities for the attorney.

The correctional nursing specialist works with patients who are incarcerated. They perform a wide variety of duties, from administering daily medications, visiting sick prisoners, determining if a patient needs to seek outside care. A nurse who works in a correctional environment must be well rounded in order to properly treat the variety of patients seen on a daily basis.

There is a wide variety of choices available within the specialty field of forensic nursing, which require a great deal of specialized training. The decision to become a forensic nurse is an important one, because of the requirements and specialized nature of the training. It is important for the potential forensic nurse to understand the duties that they may be performing after completing their formal training. Working with sexual assault victims, homicide victims or the incarcerated population can be an incredibly demanding career choice. A forensic nurse is not locked into one specialty once their choice is made, but it is unlikely that a nurse would consider switching fields because of the high degree of specialty required in each field.

What is the outlook for nurses that enter the field?

Forensic nursing is one of the newest specialties recognized by the American Nurses Association. The stated goal of the Forensic Nurse is to apply the science of nursing to public or legal proceedings. They are trained specifically to recognize evidence, properly collect it and document it for future use.

Forensic nursing is a relatively new field, so employment opportunities are not as widespread as in other branches of nursing. For the person interested in the legal field, working as a consultant or working with abuse victims, forensic nursing is an excellent career path to chose.

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