Forensic nurse vs nurse clinician

The differences between forensic nurses and nurse clinicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a forensic nurse and a nurse clinician. Additionally, a nurse clinician has an average salary of $65,159, which is higher than the $63,589 average annual salary of a forensic nurse.

The top three skills for a forensic nurse include patients, child abuse and mental health. The most important skills for a nurse clinician are patients, patient education, and CPR.

Forensic nurse vs nurse clinician overview

	Forensic Nurse	Nurse Clinician
Yearly salary	$63,589	$65,159
Hourly rate	$30.57	$31.33
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	45,038	596,073
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 45%	Bachelor's Degree, 59%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	2	2

Forensic nurse vs nurse clinician salary

Forensic nurses and nurse clinicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Forensic Nurse	Nurse Clinician
Average salary	$63,589	$65,159
Salary range	Between $36,000 And $111,000	Between $48,000 And $88,000
Highest paying City	-	New York, NY
Highest paying state	-	New York
Best paying company	-	Healthpoint
Best paying industry	-	Education

Differences between forensic nurse and nurse clinician education

There are a few differences between a forensic nurse and a nurse clinician in terms of educational background:

	Forensic Nurse	Nurse Clinician
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 45%	Bachelor's Degree, 59%
Most common major	Nursing	Nursing
Most common college	Duke University	Duke University

Forensic nurse vs nurse clinician demographics

Here are the differences between forensic nurses' and nurse clinicians' demographics:

	Forensic Nurse	Nurse Clinician
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 8.8% Female, 91.2%	Male, 10.9% Female, 89.1%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.8% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 9.2% Asian, 8.9% White, 65.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%	Black or African American, 12.1% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 8.8% Asian, 9.6% White, 64.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage	9%	9%

Differences between forensic nurse and nurse clinician duties and responsibilities

Forensic nurse example responsibilities.

Manage patient pain relief and sedation by providing pharmacological and non-pharmacological intervention, monitor patient response and record care plans accordingly.
Plan, provide, and monitor individualized nursing care and evidence collection to pediatric patients of acute sexual assault
Charge responsibilities for 3-6 CNAs.
Perform medical forensic exams on patients who have been sexually assault and provide care and follow-up education
Work independently under protocols for treatment to provide STI risk assessment, treatment, and prophylaxis including emergency contraception.
Manage patient pain relief and sedation by providing pharmacological and non-pharmacological intervention, monitor patient response and record care plans accordingly.

Nurse clinician example responsibilities.

Manage patient pain relief and sedation by providing pharmacological and non-pharmacological intervention, monitor patient response and record care plans accordingly.
Provide high level nursing care for ER step down and ICU patients prior to transfer to critical care units.
Instruct ACLS and BLS classes.
Specialize care for telemetry and orthopedic patients.
Provide specialized nursing care to ICU medical cardiac patient populations.
Provide education regarding care of surgical patients as part of orientation to orienting telemetry nurses.

Forensic nurse vs nurse clinician skills

Common forensic nurse skills

Patients, 35%
Child Abuse, 7%
Mental Health, 7%
Comprehensive Care, 7%
Forensic Evidence, 6%
Evidence Collection, 5%

Common nurse clinician skills

Patients, 33%
Patient Education, 5%
CPR, 5%
Emergency Situations, 5%
Patient Outcomes, 3%
Educational Programs, 3%

Forensic Nurse vs. similar jobs

Forensic Nurse related careers

Forensic Nurse related jobs

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Healthcare Practitioner and Technical Industry
Forensic Nurse
Forensic Nurse vs Nurse Clinician

Updated January 8, 2025

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