Forensic Nursing Careers and Degrees Forensic nurses are critical to crime-solving and are involved in the process from victim care to testifying in court.
The criminal justice system isn’t just full of police, detectives, and FBI agents. There’s also a place for nurses.
With forensics training, a registered nurse can help solve crimes and treat victims in traumatic situations.
What You’ll Do
As a forensic nurse, you may have a wide range of duties. You’ll be caring for victims of a crime, as well as helping to investigate crimes. Your career might also involve collecting DNA evidence and testifying about your findings in court.
Typical places that employ forensic nurses may include the following:
- Acute health care facilities
- Correctional institutions
- County coroner
- Prosecutor offices
- Medical examiner offices
- Psychiatric facilities
- Insurance companies
In addition, many forensic nurses choose to work independently as consultants.
According to the International Association of Forensic Nurses, there are different fields within forensic nursing you can work in:
- Sexual assault
- Domestic violence
- Child abuse and neglect
- Elder abuse
- Death investigation
- Corrections
- Disaster relief
Forensic Nursing Degree and Certificate Programs
As an RN, one of the easiest ways to get started as a forensic nurse is to enroll in a forensic nursing program. Generally, these programs can be completed online in about twelve months after which you’ll earn a Forensic Nursing Certificate.
If you’re interested in furthering your education even more, master’s degree and PhD programs in forensic nursing are available at a variety of schools. You’ll learn about the theories of violence, trial preparation, civil law, and other topics.
Forensic Nursing Career Salary and Job Outlook
The job growth outlook for forensic nurses, as part of the larger field of registered nurses, is very good, with the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics’ 2023 Occupational Outlook Handbook predicting a 5.6% growth rate through 2032, slightly faster than average for all occupations.
The BLS puts the median annual salary for registered nurses at $86,070.
Actual salaries may vary greatly based on specialization within the field, location, years of experience, and a variety of other factors. National long-term projections of employment growth may not reflect local and/or short-term economic or job conditions and do not guarantee actual job growth.