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Forensic nurse skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025

2 min read

Quoted experts

Alison Alaimo MSN, RN,

Angela Mund

Below we've compiled a list of the most critical forensic nurse skills. We ranked the top skills for forensic nurses based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 34.8% of forensic nurse resumes contained patients as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills a forensic nurse needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 forensic nurse skills for your resume and career

1. Patients

Here's how forensic nurses use patients:

Planned, provided, and monitored individualized nursing care and evidence collection to pediatric patients of acute sexual assault
Performed medical forensic exams on patients who had been sexually assaulted and provided care and follow-up education

2. Child Abuse

When a child who is under 18 is mistreated by an adult, it is considered child abuse. There are many forms of intentional harm and mistreatment for example physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, medical abuse, and neglect in providing adequate basic life necessities.

Here's how forensic nurses use child abuse:

Functioned as a forensic consult for: child abuse, domestic violence, elder abuse, and other victims of violence.
Care for victims of sexual assault, child abuse, elder abuse, domestic violence, and other violent crimes.

3. Mental Health

Mental health is the state of wellbeing in which an individual can cope with the regular stresses and tensions of life, and can work productively without having any emotional or psychological breakdown. Mental health is essential for a person of any age and helps them make the right decisions in their life.

Here's how forensic nurses use mental health:

Assisted with education and physical activity ~ Conducted comprehensive and specific mental health assessments.

4. Comprehensive Care

Here's how forensic nurses use comprehensive care:

Collaborated with other members of SART team, such as police and patient advocacy to ensure comprehensive care.

5. Forensic Evidence

Here's how forensic nurses use forensic evidence:

Provided timely, thorough, and professional forensic evidence collection, documentation, and preservation of evidence.
Provided assessment and collection of forensic evidence of sexual assault victims for local hospitals.

6. Evidence Collection

Here's how forensic nurses use evidence collection:

Provide assessments, evidence collection, and injury documentation.
Suspect evidence collection for law enforcement.

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7. Medical History

Here's how forensic nurses use medical history:

Document medical history and pertinent data of the patient.
Provided adult nursing care before and after medical procedures and continual comprehensive assessments/evaluation of patients with strong interest in medical history.

9. Law Enforcement Agencies

Here's how forensic nurses use law enforcement agencies:

Supported San Diego County law enforcement agencies by providing programmatic medical needs regarding substance abuse testing of suspected felons.
Assisted law enforcement agencies and performed under strict guidelines to ensure proper collection of data.

10. Interpersonal Violence

Here's how forensic nurses use interpersonal violence:

Conduct forensic medical examinations of victims of sexual assault and interpersonal violence Collect physical and photographic evidence using best practice standards.

11. Medical Care

Here's how forensic nurses use medical care:

Coordinated medical air evacuation for critically sick and injured patients, providing timely movement to higher levels of medical care.
Reviewed physical needs, monitored patients' physical condition, and arranged medical appointments according to assigned medical care standards.

13. STI

Here's how forensic nurses use sti:

Worked independently under protocols for treatment to provide STI risk assessment, treatment, and prophylaxis including emergency contraception.

14. Sexual Abuse

Here's how forensic nurses use sexual abuse:

Perform detailed medical assessments on children and adult victims of sexual assault/abuse.

15. Photo Documentation

Here's how forensic nurses use photo documentation:

Work closely with the DA and New York State Court System, preparing photo documentation for civil trials.

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What skills help Forensic Nurses find jobs?

Tell us what job you are looking for, we’ll show you what skills employers want.

What forensic nurse skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?

Alison Alaimo MSN, RN

Undergraduate Program Director/Clinical Assistant Professor, Website

Nurses spend their days or nights assisting clients and their loved ones on their healthcare journeys. They possess a variety of tools and knowledge in which to do this. They assess and monitor patients, which is often a very dynamic process. They are trained to provide emergency response treatment. They administer medications and perform various aspects of patient care. They provide education to patients and loved ones and advocate for patients' rights and needs. Nurses maintained detailed documentation on all information pertaining to patients. They also work closely as a member of an interdisciplinary healthcare team. Finally, they also maintain their own professional development as changes in healthcare are frequent and/or they are interested in pursuing advanced degrees or certifications. Nurses work tirelessly to promote positive patient outcomes

What type of skills will young forensic nurses need?

Angela Mund

Vice President, American Association of Nurse Anesthetists

To meet the needs of our current volatile and complex healthcare landscape, all healthcare providers will need to understand the business of healthcare, in addition to providing expert patient care. Starting in 2025, all graduates from nurse anesthesia programs will be awarded a doctoral degree, a doctorate in nursing practice (DNP), or a doctorate in nurse anesthesia practice (DNAP). These degree programs include additional anesthesia experience as well as an understanding of effective leadership, healthcare economics and reimbursement, the use of big data for improving patient outcomes, and evidence-based practice.

What soft skills should all forensic nurses possess?

Kim Raines

Assistant Professor of Nursing, Penn State Erie, The Behrend College

Graduates have been confronted with harsh realities. They have had considerable remote learning which may have made them wiser to the value of being in person compared to a recording or reading and learning independently. Of course, there is a place for both. Some graduates have been even more personally affected by the pandemic. They may have suffered through the grim and enduring loss of hospitalized loved ones, many of whom were completely isolated. Graduates need to understand fully; the power of human touch, and the how and why superb communication - however limited it may be - is a lifeline for patients and families. Teamwork, flexibility and interpersonal skills take on a new meaning in the pandemic healthcare world. New graduates will need to focus on deliberate practices for staying well themselves (physically and emotionally) but also be extraordinarily conscious of ways to support their co-workers in real time and perhaps off the job as well.

What hard/technical skills are most important for forensic nurses?

Diane Salvador Ph.D.

Executive Director and Professor, Elmhurst University

New nurses should be prepared to demonstrate proficiency in basic nursing care and procedures. It is important to realize that each hospital has its own policy and procedure to follow, so taking advantage of your nurse preceptor and orientation program will ensure you are familiar with these basic procedures.

Do you want to know more?

List of forensic nurse skills to add to your resume

The most important skills for a forensic nurse resume and required skills for a forensic nurse to have include:

Patients
Child Abuse
Mental Health
Comprehensive Care
Forensic Evidence
Evidence Collection
Medical History
Social Services
Law Enforcement Agencies
Interpersonal Violence

Medical Care
Social Work
STI
Sexual Abuse
Photo Documentation
Legal Proceedings
Community Agencies
Emergency Care
Sexual Assault Victims
Domestic Violence Victims

Physical Assessments
Administer Medications
Crisis Intervention
Court System
Patient Care
Peer Review
Physical Evidence
EKG
Criminal Cases
Chart Audits

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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Updated January 8, 2025

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