Which Kern County nursing schools offer an introduction to forensic nursing?
Forensic nursing programs are one choice in the vast array of areas that a registered nurse can choose as a focus area if they are desiring to do more than general nursing. As a specialty, forensic nursing is especially important as in many cases a crime has been committed and the nurse is a vital part of the team that is trying to solve the crime. There are several nursing schools in Bakersfield Ca that introduce their students to forensic nursing.
There are a variety of nursing schools in Bakersfield Ca that offer forensic nursing programs and though their programs may have some variations, there are certain things that are always studied. Some of the areas that are explored are trauma, sexual assault, abuse, and acts of violence. Among the specific courses that students will take are death investigation, crisis intervention and follow-up care, forensic evidence collection and physical assessment techniques, and how to do a forensic psychological assessment. Many who enter this field want to focus on sexual assault cases and go by the acronym of SANE-Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner. Not only do these nurses take care of the victim, they also prepare documents in case there is a criminal case, testify in court, and collect important forensic evidence. Other general duties of all forensic nurses include, visiting the scene of the incident, photography to document forensic evidence, and do a complete evaluation of the scene to help determine exactly what has taken place.
There are a various different kinds of forensic nursing programs in nursing schools in Bakersfield Ca that are offered. The first requirement for everyone is to complete an RN program at one of the nursing schools in Bakersfield Ca. After this, one can either take a course that is roughly 60 hours and that includes a 45 hour internship. This will take about a year and then you can sit for the national certification exam. The other path is to go on to get a Masters degree and this will take about 2.5 years. It is also necessary to have between 2-5 years experience as an RN before you go into the field of forensic nursing. Salaries can also vary widely depending on location and experience. A base salary can start out at about $34 per hour but a highly trained forensic nurse can earn upwards of $100 an hour.
Forensic nursing programs are a rapidly expanding field due to rising interest. If you are curious about this type of nursing you owe it to yourself to check it out as it might be the beginning of a very rewarding career path.