Forensic Nursing Chronicles

A man is beaten up in a bar fight and then dies two years later.

During the course of his treatment for his injuries, it is discovered he also was infected with HIV.

Questions:

What actions would a forensics certified nurse take to help the coroner make a decision as to the cause of death in this case?

How would the actions of a forensic nurse differ from that of regular R.N. in this case, or any case like it?

If you were the nurse on duty when this gentleman was admitted into your facility, how would your knowledge of forensics guide you in your own decision making to give the patient the best care possible? How may you act differently if you did not have any direct knowledge of forenisc science?

Do these types of questions intrigue and interest you? Maybe you are ready for a online forensic nursing certification.

With the proliferation of prescription drugs being recalled or cited by the FDA as possibly dangerous such as this story:

FDA Issues Warning About Abortion Pill

Here are today’s questions:

1. How can Forensic Nurses and those who practice Forensic Science contribute to this “policing” of prescription drugs?

2. What sorts of diagnostic tools are at the disposal of a forensics certified nurse that could help identify products that may need a warning or recall?

According to Colleen O’Brien over at Nurseweek.com:

“Forensic nursing is multifaceted. There are coroners’ offices, domestic violence [settings], and nurses who work in a hospital or clinic setting. There’s the sexual assault subspecialty, and that includes children, adolescents, adults, male, female, and elderly. The majority of SANE programs across the country are hospital-based, although you will find programs in district attorneys’ offices, rape crisis centers, and there are a couple [of community-based programs] that work out of YWCAs.”

Questions:

Can you think of any other settings where Forensic Nursing Certification may be of value?

As Forensic Nursing comes into it’s own as a professional practice and discipline, what are some of the things that can be done to create and maintain an accepted set of “standard practices”?

127 Killed as Trains Collide in Pakistan reads the headline.

Forensic Nursing and Science have much to contribute to such scenarios. Needless to say, making determinations of responsibility for the purposes of distributing and determining the validity of insurance claims to victims for instance.

Questions:

What other benefits can the application of forensic science bring to such accidents?

What types of forensic nursing practices and skills would bring relief or knowledge to the survivors of such an incident? How could a forensic nurse discover the facts in such an accident and then disseminate them to the victim’s families or friends? Would this even fall under the rubric of a forensic nurse’s professional responsibilities?

Want to find out more about adding Forensic Nursing Certification to your list of professional skills without having to go to classes? Canyon College Online Forensic Nursing Certification Program.

Recently an attack by extrememists rendered a number of people dead and injured.

Questions;

What types of evidence would be collected in order to make a determination of who is responsible for this tragedy?

Among these evidenciary categories, what priority would you assign each type of evidence in terms of importance in making a criminal case?

Would you assign different priorities for a civil case?

Another Independence Day has passed and so far there has been only one major injury reported due to fireworks misuse. Although there may be more reports coming in this week, let’s examine the problem from a forensics perpective.

Questions:

How could forensic nursing techniques, knowledge, and practices be used to prevent additional injuries if possible?

Can we use forensic science to determine whether any fireworks manufacturer is liable for damages caused by the use of their products?

Do these sorts of questions intrigue you or have you decided to add Forensic Nursing to your set of professional skills? An Online Forensic Nursing Certification Program may be the answer.