Forensic Nursing
A sub-specialty area of focus in the Adult Nurse Practitioner Program and other advanced practice specialties. Also offered as a post-master’s certificate.
Do you have an inquisitive mind and want to build your analytical skills? Do you enjoy professional autonomy? Are you interested in a generalist practice with specialist skills? This non-traditional role offers diverse career paths and clinical options.
What Will You Do as an Advanced Practice Nurse Specializing in Forensic Nursing?
Forensic nursing represents one of the most diverse groups of clinicians within the profession of nursing. You will address the bio-psycho-social needs of individuals, families, communities and society within the context of a variety of forensic situations.
More specifically, forensic nurses serve overlapping populations affected by:
- Interpersonal violence – e.g., domestic violence, sexual assault, child maltreatment, elder abuse/neglect, gang violence
- Threats to public health and safety – e.g., environmental hazards, food and drug tampering, holistic death investigations, anatomical gifts
- Man-made and natural causes of trauma – e.g., automobile accidents, suicide attempts, war, terrorism, inflicted injuries, weather related disasters, mass causality situations
- Vulnerabilities created by physical, cognitive and emotional impairments – e.g., nursing home residents, psychiatric patients
- Vulnerabilities created by limited personal freedom – e.g., incarcerated individuals, patients in lock-down residential treatment facilities, individuals in state custody
What Is Forensic Nursing?
Forensic Nursing is defined by The International Association of Forensic Nurses (IAFN) as…
“the application of nursing science to public or legal proceedings; the application of the forensic aspects of health care combined with the bio-psycho-social education of the registered nurse in the scientific investigation and treatment of trauma and/or death of victims and perpetrators of abuse, violence, criminal activity and traumatic accidents.” – IAFN 2002
For decades, individual nurses have been performing services in a variety of settings that are now referred to as forensic nursing. Since the early 1990s, a more formal recognition of these nursing roles has emerged, along with the growing recognition that violence, long seen as a sociological problem, is a public health problem as well. There is now national and international recognition of the role of the forensic nurse, with masters and doctoral programs emerging in this specialty area.
Forensic Nursing embodies nursing expertise in a variety of disciplines:
- Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing
- Domestic Violence
- Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners
- Correctional Nursing
- War/Mass Casualty
- Child/Elder Abuse
- Death Investigation
- Legal Nurse Consult
Since the 1970s Vanderbilt University School of Nursing graduates have been working in the United States and abroad in a wide range of public and private work settings that interact with the legal and justice system. In 2004 our school began offering a Forensic Nursing focus area, representing an expansion of our correctional nursing program. Forensic nurses are increasingly involved in research and education, and they are working on a principle of “sharing a mutual responsibility with the legal system to protect civil and human rights….” (IAFN goals statement, 2003)
Program Description
Students will participate in two 2 semester hour didactic courses which cover the core concepts of Forensic Nursing. In addition, students will complete a 3 semester hour clinical practicum that will be individualized to their forensic interests. Clinical sites may include experiences in prisons, jails, domestic violence services, emergency rooms, forensic psychiatric sites, police departments, courts, child sexual abuse clinics, medical examiner offices and other settings throughout the criminal justice system.
Plan of Study
The Forensic Nursing focus requires completion of the following courses in addition to the standard requirements of your selected clinical advanced practice specialty:
- N366A. Fundamentals of Forensic Nursing (2 credit hours)
- N366B. Concepts in Forensic Nursing (2 credit hours)
- N367. Practicum in Forensic Nursing (3 credit hours – 210 clock hours of clinical practice)
Forensic Coordinator
Julie Rosof-Williams, MSN, APRN, BC-FNP
Ms. Rosof-Williams is a certified Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP). For the past 16 years she has practiced at the Our Kids Center, where she has managed children and adolescents’ health care and forensic needs when allegations or concerns of sexual abuse and assault arise. In addition, she has testified in numerous criminal and civil court proceedings as an expert witness and has extensive experience working with agents and agencies involved in the investigation of child sexual abuse. In conjunction with nursing and social work colleagues, she has developed a training program for health care providers focusing on the evaluation and management of sexual abuse/assault in the pediatric population. Additional clinical interests include interpersonal violence in the family setting and child maltreatment. She is a member of the International Association of Forensic Nurses (IAFN), serves on the Forensic Nurses Certification Board (FNCB) and The American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children (APSAC). Recent accomplishments include chairing the FNCB committee that wrote the pediatric certification examination for Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners.
Modified Class Schedule
The Forensic Nursing program is a 7 credit hour minor or focus area for nurses who are completing a master’s degree in nursing or for post graduates who have completed a master’s degree in nursing. The first 4 hours of the program are offered in a modified learning (block) format with classes held in Nashville in the Spring and Summer semesters. During these semesters students come to Nashville about 3 times a semester for one to two consecutive days and return home to complete their assignments. The final 3 hours are for a clinical practicum, and every effort is made to place students in their home communities while matching them to their areas of interest within forensic nursing. Sites and preceptors are subject to Vanderbilt School of Nursing faculty approval.
On a case-by-case basis, the first 4 hours may be offered to nurses who have not completed a master’s degree. Continuing education credit is offered as well.
Admissions Criteria
- Vanderbilt School of nursing clinical students in an advanced practice specialty
- Post-graduate advanced practice nurses (NPs, CNSs)
- Special students approved on an individualized basis
- The application process includes interview and criminal background check.
- Students intending to focus on Forensic Psychiatry must be enrolled in the Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner program or be a graduate of this type of program.
Outcome Objectives
At the completion of this program, graduates will be able to:
- Demonstrate proficiency in the domains of forensic nursing and chosen specialty area
- Provide holistic care for the bio-psycho-social needs of victims/families and perpetrators
- Work collaboratively with agents/agencies that utilize forensic nursing services
Credentials and Certification
Graduation from the Vanderbilt MSN program prepares you for licensure and “approval to practice” as a Registered Nurse (RN) in every state. You also will be eligible to sit for examination for the applicable certification, and eligible for prescriptive authority consistent with state law. Visit Credentialing and Certification for specific information.
At this time the certification exam for Forensic Nursing is under development by the International Association of Forensic Nurses. Certifications exist for sub-specialties within the field: Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner, Legal Nurse Consultant and Correctional Health. The certifications are offered by the International Association of Forensic Nurses, American Association of Legal Nurse Consultants, and the National Commission on Correctional Healthcare, respectively.
