Healthy Justice: Forensic Nursing Programs |
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May 22, 2005
by Edward Castro
Healthcare Programs Columnist
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, a woman was raped every 2 minutes in 2002, which translates to 30 sexual assaults per hour, 720 per day and 262,800 per year. Who can make sure the perpetrators come to justice? A nurse trained through a forensic nursing program.
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Forensic Nursing Degree
In many parts of the country, you have to be dead to get quality forensic care. Where a forensic scientists deal mostly with the dead, nurses with a forensic nursing degree focus their practice on the living. The main focus of a forensic nursing program is training nurses to treat the victims and perpetrators of abuse, violence, criminal activity, and accidents to ensure the crime, if one is committed, does not go unpunished.
Making the Case: A Forensic Nursing Degree
When it comes to a rape case, a nurse with a forensic nursing degree is the insurance a prosecutor and the investigators rely on to make the case. Instead of a forensic nursing degree, working nurses interested in forensics need only enroll in a continuing education course in forensic nursing, such as a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner, or SANE, program. Evidence collected by qualified SANEs holds more weight in a courtroom and is less likely to be thrown out of court.
The Need Grows Daily
One piece of legislation currently being considered that would mean more jobs for forensic nurses is the Debbie Smith Act. This piece of legislation would not only address the lack of trained specialists, but the need for standardized kits, better resources, and expedited evidence analysis. The act is named for a Williamsburg, VA, woman who was raped and suffered in fear while her case was in limbo for six and a half years due to delays in DNA processing and cross-matching.
About the Author
Edward Castro has an extensive experience as a creative media writer. His client portfolio has included such notables as Hewlett-Packard, Sony Computer Entertainment, Shockwave, AtomFilms, GameBlast and Mervyn's California. In his current position, Ed is developing the marketing strategy of an Internet start-up company specializing in Japanese trade goods.
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