Define your areas of strength and weaknesses regarding forensic practice. What are your goals for future practice? What limitation can you self-identify and how can you address these areas?
The area I have found interesting is that the career is important and fulfilling, especially when it involves ensuring the safety of the public and solving crimes. My work has been used in courts of law to ensure that dangerous criminals are out behind bars (Drake et al., 2018). The other strength is that the career deals with many other fields of medicine and even the criminal justice system. I am good at this since I enjoy reading about other fields and interacting with other professionals in my professional life. The profession is quite diversified, and as a practitioner, I always find all my skills useful.
The weaknesses in the practice have been the nature of work, as sometimes victims’ bodies are found in bad conditions (Drake et al., 2018). When they are brought into the laboratory, the forensic staff have to spend considerable time on the bodies and with chemicals to determine the cause of death. Some scenes are too gruesome and will result in mental health issues later on the practitioners.
One of the initiatives I have opted for is seeking counselling to deal with gruesome images and scenes likely to affect me (Drake et al., 2018). Counsellors will always find a way of ensuring that the work environment does not harm the personal lives of practitioners.
Reflect back on what you thought a forensic nurse was at the beginning of the course and what you have learned about forensic nursing. What surprises or new information did you gain about the role of the forensic nurse?
At the commencement of the course, my understanding of forensic nursing was simply the individual who worked in laboratories to determine the cause of death using various techniques (Rorgjdvphek International Association of Forensic Nurses, n.d). I also thought forensic experts would not regularly work with law enforcement agencies. As the course has progressed, I have established that I must write about the methods I use and any discoveries made (Drake et al., 2018). I have also established that I will often be called upon to identify suspects and victims whose bodies are destroyed/deformed beyond recognition.
One of the surprises along the way has been that there are many opportunities for employment within law enforcement just as much as within hospitals and laboratories (Drake et al., 2018). The police, for instance, have crime scene investigative experts who are supposed to be qualified forensic experts who will often ensure that all evidence at crime scenes is collected and pictured. This is a career path I have developed an interest in pursuing.
References
Drake, S. A., Koetting, C., Thimsen, K., Downing, N., Porta, C., Hardy, P., … & Engebretson, J. (2018). Forensic nursing state of the science: Research and practice opportunities. Journal of Forensic Nursing, 14(1), 3-10.
IAFP. (2023). International Association of Forensic Psychotherapy. https://www.forensicpsychotherapy.org/
Melbourn, H., Smith, G., McFarland, J., Rogers, M., Wieland, K., DeWilde, D., … & Guarino, L. (2019). Mandatory certification of forensic science practitioners in the United States: A supportive perspective. Forensic Science International: Synergy, 1, 161-169.
Passalacqua, N. V., & Pilloud, M. A. (2021). The need to professionalize forensic anthropology. European Journal of Anatomy, 25(S2), 35-47.