Nursing (Forensic Nursing), MS (online)

Master's
100% Online
Nursing
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In Short

Designed for registered nurses who wish to pursue advanced leadership positions in the community and the health care system.

We've got you covered
What will I do?
  • Acquire specialization in forensic nursing
  • Learn online without compromising quality for convenience
  • Complete a total of 420 clinical hours

Are you a registered nurse looking to pursue advanced leadership positions in the
community and the health care system? Earn your master's degree online
with a specialty concentration in forensic nursing.

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Degree Overview

The graduate is prepared to contribute to the development of nursing science, to the improvement of health care, and to pursue doctoral study. Although you can complete the 39 credits required by this program in as few as three years, you have six years to complete the program.

Career Opportunities

  • Death Investigator
  • Legal Nurse Consultant
  • Medicolegal Investigator
  • Advocate
  • Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE)
  • Forensic Nurse Hospital-Based Expert
  • Risk Management Specialist
  • Forensic Mental Health Consultant

Resources

Register for classes

Already have a master's degree in nursing? Then consider exploring our online graduate certificate program in forensic nursing, designed to equip you with the specialized skills and knowledge needed to excel in this exciting field.

This is one of the few areas in nursing where you have the luxury of time to spend with the patient which is missing from most of healthcare today.

Hope Miller
‘22 found her calling in forensic nursing

Degrees and Other Information

The purpose of the graduate program is to prepare professional nurses who wish to pursue advanced education in forensic nursing.  In addition, the graduate is prepared to assume leadership positions and to pursue doctoral study.

Graduates will:

  • Integrate knowledge from the sciences and the humanities into the provision of advanced nursing care to diverse populations.
  • Design systems change strategies that improve the care environment.
  • Lead quality improvement initiatives that integrate socio-cultural factors affecting the delivery of nursing and healthcare services.
  • Integrate evidence-based strategies and interprofessional perspectives to improve practice and associated health outcomes.
  • Analyze current and emerging technologies to support safe practice environments, and to optimize patient safety, cost-effectiveness, and health outcomes.
  • Participate in the promotion of policies to improve public health and advance the nursing profession.
  • Employ collaborative strategies in the design, coordination, and evaluation of patient centered care.
  • Synthesize broad ecological, global, and social determinants of health to design and deliver population health interventions and strategies.

Tuition and Fees

Students may begin this program in the fall or spring terms each year. Completed applications are reviewed on a rolling admission basis. Admissions requirements are as follows:

  • Official transcript from a regionally accredited baccalaureate nursing program
  • Three Letters of Recommendation (References must be from professional sources, and one must come from a nurse academician.)
  • Qualified RNs with a minimum of 1 year experience who hold non-nursing baccalaureate or advanced degrees in a complementary field may submit a pre-matriculation professional portfolio to demonstrate nursing competencies in lieu of holding the BSN. Please contact gce@fitchburgstate.edu for details.
  • A current RN’s license*
  • Professional resume
  • CORI-Criminal Offense Record Investigation may be required by certain clinical agencies. The cost of funding a CORI may be at the student’s expense.
  • Official transcripts of graduate level course work from a regionally accredited institution (if applicable)
  • Graduate application and fee
  • Written two-part essay, including:
    • Part I (no more than 300 words): Your reason for wishing to attend graduate school or your reason for pursuing a post-master’s certificate in a specialty area
    • Part II (at least 1200 words): Your specific interests, the type of work you would like to pursue in this field, and how you intend to pursue employment or volunteer work in this area

*Applicants who reside and/or work outside the U.S. are not required to hold an U.S. RN License but instead must possess a current license from the country they reside in or in which they will complete clinical coursework hours.

The mission of the Forensic Nursing Fitchburg State University program is to prepare professional forensic nurses capable of leading and meeting the evolving societal healthcare needs in a variety of settings. In their teaching, the faculty models respect for diversity, social responsibility, and a commitment to excellence. Interprofessional, collaborative, and interactive teaching methods foster the use of critical thinking to build a strong foundation for the practice of holistic forensic nursing. Legal, ethical, and professional standards guide the faculty in teaching the art and science of forensic nursing.

Fitchburg State University Department of Nursing prepares students to assume healthcare leadership roles in the global society of the 21st century. The program uses continuous program evaluation and innovation to maintain an educational culture that fosters social responsibility, service commitment, client advocacy, and lifelong learning. Graduates are forensic nurse generalists who use critical thinking and current evidence to address problems using integrative, trauma-informed, patient-centered care to meet the evolving healthcare needs of populations and environments.

The master’s degrees in nursing at Fitchburg State University are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education

The Department of Nursing has full approval status from the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Nursing:

Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Board of Registration in Nursing
239 Causeway Street, Suite 500, 5th floor
Boston, MA 02114
Tel: 617.973.0900
Fax: 617.973.0984

In addition, the Department of Nursing is a member of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN), and the Massachusetts Association of Colleges of Nursing (MACN).

The New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE) accredits Fitchburg State University.

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