Forensic nursing has not always been recognized although practiced by nurses every day. In reality, all nurses no matter the specialty have developed some investigative techniques. A forensic nurse is a nurse who deals with violence, sexual abuse victims, and abusers. “In 1995 forensic nursing gained specialty recognition by the American Nurses Association. It is an emerging global nursing specialty, with subspecialties that focus on nursing practice at the clinical legal interface of tending to victims and offender, living and deceased” (Kent-Wilkinson, 2010, p.425). Today there is a great potential for professional growth and promotion in the forensic field of nursing. With many pros and cons to this field of nursing, it is the nurse’s personal desire to pursue this career that would make this career rewarding.
Roles and Job Responsibilities of a Forensic Nurse
There are many roles and responsibilities of a forensic nurse. No matter the age, gender, race, or any other factor that makes the patient unique, the patients are all in need of an advocate. Patients need someone to investigate and speak out for them when they are unable to do it for themselves. The nurse only sees the patient from the time he or she enters the facility to the time he or she exits. During that time that the nurse shares with the patient, it is up to the nursing team to investigate further to determine what the real problem is. Forensic nurses are mainly used for their distinct ability to render a patient aid and help law enforcement identify victims of abuse, neglect, and assault. When a victim comes into the emergency department or other nursing facilities, the forensic nurse begins his or her investigation once he or she first sees the patient. The for...
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Hundreds across the nation watch forensic shows every day. From fictional shows similar to Criminal Minds and CSI, to nonfictional shows such as The First 48 and Forensic Files. However, these shows have something in common. Criminological programs continuously show how the crime happened, what it takes to crack the case, how investigators accumulate evidence, a...
Therefore, the criminal justice system relies on other nonscientific means that are not accepted or clear. Many of forensic methods have implemented in research when looking for evidence, but the methods that are not scientific and have little or anything to do with science. The result of false evidence by other means leads to false testimony by a forensic analyst. Another issue with forensic errors is that it is a challenge to find a defense expert (Giannelli, 2011). Defense experts are required to help the defense attorneys defend and breakdown all of the doubts in the prosecutors scientific findings in criminal cases. Scientific information is integral in a criminal prosecution, and a defense attorney needs to have an expert to assist he/she in discrediting the prosecution (Giannelli,
Usually forensic psychology is defined as the intersection of psychology and the law. Yet, in many cases not all individuals working within criminological psychology are not necessarily "forensic psychologists." These individuals might actually be clinical psychologists, or adolescent psychologists, neurologists or psy...
thought that I was an easy target. I'm 17 now and it has changed me life completely.” (Dancing in the Darkness, “Survivors”).” Forensic Nursing is one of the most promising occupations in the United States, the emergence for the need of nurses in the community benefits the place to make lives better. While a judge and jurors are putting the criminal away, forensic nurses are the ones who approach the victim in a more personal manor. Forensic Nurses in the community make the alleviation of pain and trauma better for patients.
Every day, hundreds of law enforcement officers go out to investigate crimes, whether it is a robbery, a car accident, a suicide, or even a homicide. But has civilization ever stopped to wonder who those behind – the - scene guys are that put all the pieces of evidence together but do not really receive credit for it or the amount of training that goes into becoming a forensic scientist? How about if the forensic science strategies depicted on TV is actually true. Society can give credit to the thousands of forensic scientists who spend their days deciphering evidence ,which is not as dazzling and fantastic as TV plays it out to be. In fact, most of the things portrayed on TV are actually false. Although the forensic science strategies used in the TV shows seem amazing, they are not representative of the real profession and people should realize there is a huge difference between fiction and the real work done. This research paper debates the technology of forensic science, the training involved, the careers that are associated with the field and also how this topic is presented in film.
Forensic psychology is such a complex sub-discipline of psychology, and this complexity makes it difficult to define. The simplest way to define forensic psychology would have to be: sub-di...
For this study forensic evidence can be considered DNA evidence and/or trace evidence of any kind, included to but not limited to tire tracks, bullet casings, glass shards, fingerprints, and hair samples. Although this study proposes the idea that forensic evidence is more important it currently is not used frequently in the justice system. A study found that out of the cases they examined forensic evidence was collected in 37% of cases but only 18% of those cases were examined (Peterson, Hickman, Strom, Johnson, 2013). Another study found that 38% of participants said forensic evidence was hard to come by while 62% said they had spent time on victim credibility (Menaker, Campbell, Wells, 2016). This shows us that forensic evidence is not used frequently, and more time is spent on making a victim credible instead of finding evidence. It is the purpose of this study to determine if forensic evidence is more important than circumstantial evidence and eye witness testimony. If this can be determined than less time can be spent on things like victim credibility for testimonies, and more time can be spent on analyzing forensic
McGrath, Michael G. "Criminal Profiling: Is There a Role for the Forensic Psychiatrist?." Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law 28. (2000): 315-324. Web. 13 Apr 2011.
Forensic psychology is an area of psychology that has been rapidly gaining popularity in recent years. Entertainment media’s fascination with the intersection of crime and psychology has fueled the growing interest in the field. According to Jane Tyler Ward, PhD, forensic psychology can be defined as psychology that “emphasizes the application of research and experimentation in other areas of psychology to the legal arena.” Although forensic psychology is popular right now, it was not until 1962 that a court case set the precedent that properly trained psychologists could provide expert testimony (Page 20). Additionally, forensic psychology was not APA (American Psychological Association) certified until 2001 (Page 16). The field of forensic
... is more emphasis on the rights of the victim, not the rights of the criminal, it may help the effect it has on their the psyche, and standing within a community should not be ignored. We must continue to train our professionals whether that’s law enforcement, counselors, or physicians that no matter how demented or unreal the story may seem; to exhaust every avenue to the best of their knowledge to aid the victim. It is not for them to decide what did and did not occur to the victim. In turn, they may not get the help they need. Victimology is important in the overall investigative process because it not only tells us who the victims were, their health and personal history, social habits and personality, but also provides persuasions as to why they were selected as victims. To disregard the victim as a part of the crime will be absent in information from the get-go.
Forensic science plays a vital role in the criminal justice system by aiding an investigator’s case with scientific information based on the analysis of the evidence. Each crime scene is unique in its own way and using the evidence collected, forensic experts try to piece it together. An expert is someone who has had enough education, training, and experience to testify to the matter at hand (Harmon 2010). Unlike other witnesses in a case who testify based on first hand knowledge, the expert witness is not required to have firsthand knowledge of a particular case, and in fact, often does not. Rather, the expert witness testifies to the meaning of the facts (Whitcomb et al. 2005). Each forensic expert typically has a background in another scientific discipline, such as biology, physics, chemistry, etc. An expert with a biology background may work with DNA; chemistry may work in toxicology; and physics in blood spatter trajectories. Working separately on their own respected evidence, an investigator is able to collect all their data and set up a case (National Institute of Justice 2013). Usually, these experts will be hired by either the prosecution or defense in a criminal trial, or by a plaintiff or defendant in a civil litigation. The role of the expert witness exists in variants: between criminal and civil courts as well as the prosecution and defense.
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