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Forensic Gerontology Specialist - Career Profile |
Career OverviewGerontology refers to the care of the elderly, with specific reference to illnesses and injuries that affect this population group. Forensic gerontology is thus the science of forensics as it applies to the elderly population and forensic gerontology specialist nurses for the most part are responsible for following through on the standard forensic procedures for investigating death of the elderly, whether natural or wrongful.
Although the specialist profession has yet to become mainstream and precisely defined, most forensic gerontology specialist nurses perform the following functions. Like general forensic nurse specialists, they may observe, investigate, and preserves all available evidence that is indicative of cause of death.
Responsibilities, also in line with the general responsibilities of forensic nurses, range from investigating real and potential causes of death in a variety of settings, to collecting evidence from the suspects and witnesses of violent crimes. The only distinction is that forensic gerontology specialists confine themselves to working with geriatrics.
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Career RequirementsForensic gerontology specialist nurses must hold a current and unrestricted license to practice as a registered nurse and they must also have a minimum of two years full-time equivalent practical experience as a registered nurse in order to practice.
In most cases, forensic gerontology specialists have at least one year of clinical experience and additional certification in forensic nursing and care of the elderly.
The American Nurses Credentialing Center awards licenses to qualified forensic nurses and is the official source for more information about finding an accredited training course. The International Association of Forensic Nurses provides additional information about courses and certification in forensic nursing. For more information, contact the following organizations:
International Association of Forensic Nurses
www.forensicnurse.org
(856) 256-2425
iafn@ajj.com
American Nurses Credentialing Center
600 Maryland Ave., SW, Suite 100 West
Washington, D.C. 20024-2571
(800) 284-2378
American Nurses' Association
8518 Georgia Ave.,
Ste. 400,
Silver Spring, MD 20910
www.nursingworld.org
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Job OutlookIn the next decade, nursing will be one of the top 10 fastest growing professions in the United States according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Health care facilities will be looking to cut back on general costs so clinical nurse specialists may become the preferred alternative to more specialized medical professionals.
The future looks bright in the nursing field, with the number of jobs for registered nurses expected to increase at a rate far greater than that of most other jobs in the next couple of years.
Over the next decade or so, the nursing profession is expected to change as well. Nearly one out of every eight Americans is over 65 years of age and the size of the elderly population looks set to double by 2050, according to the US Census Bureau. Thus, the future may be particularly bright for forensic gerontology specialists, as the need for professional nurses trained in forensic practices pertaining to the care of the elderly may be in growing demand.
Qualified professional nurses may be needed to follow through on the general procedures for processing natural deaths in the elderly population. Certainly, with a substantial portion of the population over 65, the death rate may climb and processing natural deaths will not be the best use of a trained physician's time and resources. The use of qualified nurses will be far more financially viable.
As the field of forensic gerontology nursing develops, there will certainly be increased opportunity for nurses to demonstrate leadership and to influence the direction of the field. There will probably also be a substantial need for direction and proper administration.
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Career TrackSee Forensic Nurse
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CompensationSee Forensic Nurse
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