Forensic Nurse Death Investigator

​Forensic health care and the application of forensic medical expertise is emerging as a new specialty in both health care and in investigative professions where medical and legal issues overlap. This course provides an overview of the various components of forensic health sciences. Although the material focuses on the role of the forensic nurse, the content will be of benefit to all health care and allied health professionals, law enforcement and investigative personnel whose work intersects with aspects of the healthcare system or where forensic medical expertise can assist in the investigative process. Through an introduction to forensic health sciences, the role of the health care or allied health professional will be explored by bridging medical and legal components. The course will present the evolution of forensic nursing and explore the various roles and responsibilities of the forensic nurse in a variety of healthcare and non-traditional settings. The course will also explore the gap between the medical and forensic medical information and law enforcement/investigative agencies and the criminal justice system in both criminal and non-criminal incidents requiring investigation. This course will provide the framework for bridging this gap and students will uncover the potential to apply forensic health science expertise in variety of settings and multidisciplinary environments. This is an undergraduate level that course provides an introduction to forensic health sciences and will be of interest to nursing students, registered nurses or other allied health professionals with an interest in forensics and its application in the health care setting. Also this course may be of interest to anyone working in an investigative setting where there is a benefit from the application of forensic medical expertise.
Prerequisite(s):

• No prerequisites are required for this course.

​This course is intended for nurses interested in the role of a forensic nurse death investigator, or positions in hospital risk management, patient safety and quality improvement. This course will prepare students to apply the legal and scientific principles underlying the methods used in the investigation of death in in both clinical and community settings. Students will learn that causation in death investigation is something that is determined not observed. Students will analyze competing causal factors and apply forensic principles to arrive at accurate and reliable determinations that meet the scrutiny of medicolegal cases. ​
Prerequisite(s):

• 60% in FSCT 7810