Introduction and Development of Forensic Nursing Science

Expert Profile

Dr. Rakesh Kumar Gorea is currently serving as Professor and Head in Gian Sagar Medical College, Punjab. He has excelled in his expertise and serves to the best of his talent and intellectual knowledge for the betterment of society. He has vast experience in teaching and supervision of medicolegal work. He contributes his skilled approach in helping and guiding numerous Ph.D. scholars and research academicians. He has various professional societies’ membership inclusive of life membership of Indo-Pacific Academy of Forensic Odontology, Indian Red Cross Society, Indian Science Congress Association, Forensic Science Society of India, etc.

The membership list also includes the Council of Sex Education and Parenthood International, the Arab Society of Forensic Science and Forensic Medicine, the World Association of Medical Editors (WAME), etc. He is awarded and honored with numerous achievements like the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Punjab Academy of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, the International Journal of Health Research and Medicolegal Practice, and the Indian Academy of Forensic Medicine respectively. He was also honored with IAFN Vision Award-2007 by the International Association of Forensic Nurses at Salt Lake City USA 2007. He also served as guest faculty at the University of Colorado U.S.A and Punjabi University, Patiala. He is also served as President of the Indo-Pacific Academy of Forensic Nursing Science. He actively contributed to conducting numerous conferences and workshops. Being a versatile personality he has expertise in post-mortem and medicolegal examination and reporting.

Foreground

The session has been started with shortly introducing our speaker for the session Dr. Carlos A. Gutierrez. his talk basically consists of the following key points which he has covered and detailed in his expert talk

Key points of the talk

• Pioneers in Forensic Nursing
• Post mortem Examination
• Forensic Traumatology
• Roles of Nurses
• Steps to develop Forensic Nursing

Introduction and Development of Forensic Nursing Science

The most obvious question that arises is “What is Forensic Nursing?”

Forensic nursing is a combination of the Healthcare System and the Criminal Justice System. The most important use of forensic nursing is to provide proper facilities and care to victims of crimes such as assault, trauma, etc. 

Bhai Ghanaiyaji can be considered as the first forensic nurse as he gave water and treatment to the victims of the war between Sikh and Mughal regardless of which side the victim belongs to. 

Florence Nightingale, Lady with the lamp is also one of the forensic nurses 2 centuries back as she was also taking care of victims of war. 

Today, Miss Virginia A. Lynch is the mother of Forensic nursing science. While studying in the USA, she observed that the successful prosecution rate is very less when concerned with sexual crimes so she did her post-graduation in forensic nursing science. 

In 1991, the American Academy of forensic sciences recognized forensic nursing science as a discipline. 

In 1992, the International Association of Forensic Nursing was formed. 

It is very important to know the ethics, law of the country, appearing in courts, and merging experience with practice plays an important part when it comes to becoming a forensic nurse. 

There are certain steps to develop forensic nursing in a country

Development of Forensic Nursing in India

Pitfalls that could be avoided

1. Reinforcement should not be weak

2. All stakeholders should be kept in confidence and involved

3. It should be a continuous process

4. Good leadership in nursing professionals should be identified early in the stage

5. A good team of all stakeholders should be developed

6. Forensic nursing is not a replacement for any field but a booster to other fields.

Conclusion

Forensic nurses provide specialized care for patients who are victims and/or perpetrators of trauma. Forensic nurses also have specialized knowledge of the legal system and skills in injury identification, evaluation, and documentation. After attending to a patient’s immediate medical needs, a forensic nurse often collects evidence, provides medical testimony in court, and consults with legal authorities. Forensic nurses work in a variety of fields, including sexual assault (as Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners), domestic violence, child abuse and neglect, elder mistreatment, death investigation, and corrections.