Master's Programs
Clinical Nurse Specialist, Forensic Nursing Focus

This track will prepare the graduate as a clinical specialist with education in forensic nursing to work in a variety of areas including: emergency and acute care departments; sexual assault examination programs; child and/or adult protective service investigation units; psychiatric forensic treatment and evaluation units; and death investigation teams.

Students will be introduced to all major types of at-risk forensic populations.* However, this focus will also allow students to identify and further specialize in particular high risk patient populations such as survivors of: 1) child abuse and neglect, 2) intimate partner abuse, 3) elder abuse, 4) abuse of the developmentally disabled, 5) sexual assault, and/or 6) death investigation.

The essence of CNS practice is clinical nursing expertise in diagnosis and treatment to prevent, remediate, or alleviate illness and promote health in a defined specialty population. Expertise is manifested in the care of clients - individuals, families, groups, and communities. CNS practice is the translation of clinical expertise into nursing care provided either directly or by influencing nurses and nursing personnel through evidence-based nursing care standards and programs of care

CNS practice influences systems - health care agencies, political systems, and public and professional organizations, to mobilize, change, or transform these systems to facilitate expertly designed nursing interventions. CNS practice is consistently targeted toward achieving quality, cost-effective patient-focused outcomes (NACNS, 2003).

Questions regarding curriculum and career opportunities should be address to Dr. Daniel Sheridan, Coordinator of the Forensic Clinical Nurse Specialist at 410-614-5301 or dsheridan@son.jhmi.edu. Full-time and part-time study is available. Students may be admitted during any semester.

Application Deadlines
August 1 - for fall entry
December 1 - for spring entry
May 1 - for summer entry

The application and all supporting documentation must be received by the deadlines listed above. However to be given consideration for a Merit Scholarship Award, you must be accepted for admission by March 1. Please note that on average it takes the Admissions Committee approximately one month to reach a decision upon receipt of a completed application.

Note: Students in the Clinical Specialist Forensic Nursing Focus must complete during the first year of the program (or have completed prior to entering the program) the didactic coursework (approximately 40 hours) required by the Maryland State Board of Nursing to be an adult sexual assault forensic examiner in the State. The Maryland State Board of Nursing will accept sexual assault forensic examiner training from outside the State on a case-by-case basis. Please visit the Maryland State Board of Nursing Web Site, Rules Governing Registered Nurse Sexual Assault Forensic Examiners at www.dhmh.state.md.us/mbn/adv_prac/safememo.html.

The University of necessity reserves the freedom to change without notice any programs, policies, requirements or regulations published herein. This handout is not to be regarded as a contract.