Away from the hustle and bustle of the police station or the courthouse is the other wing of the criminal justice world: the science. Falling under this umbrella are the forensic scientists glamorized by shows such as CSI and Law & Order. Although not quite based upon real techniques and timelines, these shows do emphasize the importance of science in criminology. From the testing of DNA to the analysis of medical practices to the safehandling of biohazardous materials, these careers below pack a punch without needing to pack a gun.
A Legal Nurse Consultant is a registered nurse who uses existing expertise as a healthcare professional training to consult on medical-related cases. Few attorneys know how to read medical records or understand the terminology and subtleties of healthcare issues to achieve the best results for their clients. An LNC bridges that gap in the attorney's knowledge. While the attorney is the expert on legal issues, the LNC is the expert on nursing, the healthcare system and its inner workings.
Forensic scientists perform two main roles: collecting and analyzing evidence, and appearing in court to testify about any conclusions drawn from their investigations. Everybody loves the television crime shows that involve the work of forensics. The science behind those shows is often signifcantly different from how true forensic operations go down. Scientists spend a majority of their time in the crime lab, analyzing evidence over a time period that takes a lot longer than what is demonstrated in the shows. From fingerprint matching, to DNA analysis to blood work, the realm that the forensic scientist works in is vast.
If you already read the Forensic Scientist Career Description and were feeling a little uneasy, stop reading this right now. The Crime Scene Cleaner is the end of the line. When something goes horribly wrong, whether it happens in someone's home or out on the street, the cleaners are the people that show up after the police cars and the ambulances leave. The service they provide is instrumental, both for the physical AND psychological health of witnesses and/or family members.
