clinical forensic medicine:
"the medical specialty which applies the principles and practices of medicine to the elucidation of questions in judicial proceedings for the protection of the individual's legal rights prior to death" (Eckert et. al, 1986, p. 182).
forensic medicine:
"the application of medicine to the just resolution of legal issues" (American Academy of Forensic Sciences, 1989).

forensic nursing:
"the application of the forensic aspects of health care combined with the bio-psycho-social education of the registered nurse in the scientific investigation and treatment of trauma, and or death of victims and perpetrators of violence, criminal activity, and traumatic accidents" (Lynch, 1991; IAFN - International Association of Forensic Nursing, 1993).

forensic psychiatry:
"that branch of psychiatry dealing with the legal aspects of mental illness" (American Psychiatric Association, 1975).

forensic psychology:
"that branch of psychology concerned with conducting assessments, interventions and/or research within a legal context, including evaluations for competency to stand trial, mental state at the time of the defense and custody determinations" (Ogloff, 1990, p. 62).

forensic science:
"the application of science to the just resolution of legal issues" (American Academy of Forensic Sciences, 1989).

forensic social work:
"the application of social work, criminal justice and psychiatric theories in a casework relationship, to assist individuals involved in the criminal justice system" (Brennan et al, 1986).

living forensics:
"that part of forensic sciences dealing with the application of science to the just resolution of legal issues in cases involving living victims, as opposed to forensic pathology, which focuses upon deceased victims. Living forensics concerns itself with living victims of rape, drug and alcohol addiction, domestic violence (spousal, child, and elder abuse), nonfatal assaults, automobile and pedestrian accidents, suicide attempts, work- related injuries, disputed paternity, incest, medical malpractice, police and corrections custody abuse, drug and food tampering" (McNamara, 1987).

medicolegal or legal medicine:
"the arm of common interest to medicine and law, where medical knowledge is applied to the administration of justice" (Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, 1996).

FORENSIC SPECIALTISTS

forensic nurse:
"a nurse who provides care of victims of traumatic injuries and catastrophic accidents, assessment and treatment of perpetrators of crime and violence, and the families of both" (Lynch, 1993).

forensic pathologist:
"a physician with specialized training and certification in forensic pathology, which is the branch of pathology that deals with the understanding, preservation and use of evidence in order to determine cause, manner and mechanism of death" (Cumming, 1995, p. 30).

forensic psychiatrist:
"a medical doctor with first the additional training of a psychiatrist, and then with special training and experience (forensic) in the application of psychiatric knowledge to questions posed by the legal system. A forensic psychiatrist may also have a clinical practice. However, when acting in the capacity of a forensic specialist, he or she is not providing therapy to alleviate the patient's suffering or to help the patient be free and healthy, but an objective evaluation for use by the retaining institution, attorney or court" (Bursztajn, 1996).

forensic psychologist:
a psychologist who conduct assessments, treatments, and / or research within a legal context, including evaluations for competency to stand trial, mental state at the time of the defence, and custody determinations. Forensic psychologists may also work with offender treatment programs, conduct research and treat criminal offenders and psychiatric patients (Ogloff, 1990, p. 62).

police surgeons:
"physicians trained in forensic medicine who may be called on to provide documentation and possible presentation during criminal and civil cases. They examine living people in addition to performing autopsies. Police surgeons are well established in most European and British commonwealth countries, in much of Asia, in Mexico, and in areas of South America" (Curran & Shapiro, 1970).

FORENSIC NURSING & SUBSPECIATIES

forensic nursing:
"Forensic nursing combines the forensic aspects of health care with scientific investigation and treatment of victims and perpetrators of abuse, violence, criminal activity, and accidents. The forensic nurse provides direct services to individual clients; consultation services to nursing, medical, and law-related agencies; and expert court testimony regarding trauma and/or questioned death investigative processes. The forensic nurse also testifies on the adequacy of services and gives specialized diagnoses of special conditions as they related to nursing" (IAFN, 2000).

SUBSPECIALTIES OF FORENSIC NURSING

clinical forensic nursing:
"the application of the forensic aspects of health care in the scientific investigation and treatment of trauma and or death or related medicolegal issues to living patients or those whose death is pronounced upon arrival or during trauma treatment" (Lynch, 1991).

forensic correctional nursing:
"the provision of biopsychosocial nursing care to individuals who have been charged or convicted of a crime" (Kent-Wilkinson, 1995).

forensic ER nursing:
"The awareness and provision of forensic aspects of care provided to all patients by nurses who practice in Emergency rooms" (Kent-Wilkinson & McCracken, 2002).

forensic geriatric nursing:
"the application of nursing knowledge to the provision of care and concern to aging individuals with regards to any legal or human rights issues of abuse and/or neglect or exploitation" (Kent-Wilkinson, 1997).

forensic legal nurse consulting:
"registered nurses who use their clinical knowledge and expertise to assist attorneys with their cases in any context where law and medicine overlap. They fit under the broad umbrella of forensic nursing and are the one group of forensic nurses whose expertise is used primarily in civil, rather than in criminal cases" (Wetther, 1993, p. 21).

forensic mental health nursing:
"the application of nursing knowledge and provision of psychiatric rehabilitative care to individuals who have interfaced in some way with the criminal justice system, and as a result of that interface, have been judicially designated mentally ill and in need of psychiatric evaluation and / or treatment" (Love, 1994).

forensic investigator nursing (death or medical examiner nurse)
"the application of nursing knowledge in the investigation of any medicolegal death. Medicolegal deaths include any unexpected or violent death. Wherever the cause of death is unclear or even remotely suspicious, the medical examiner must investigate" (Descheneaux, 1991).

forensic examiner nursing:
"provide an incisive examination and evaluation of trauma, related to sexual assault, and other types of impersonal violence. Serves as an liaison between the health care institution, legal agencies, and court of law" (Lynch, 1999).

forensic investigator nursing:
"employed in a medical examiners or coroner's jurisdiction, represents the descendents legal rights through a scientific investigation of the scene and circumstances of death. May also be employed in nursing homes, insurance agencies, private or public agencies to verify information and document evidence pertaining to abuse, neglect or fraud, on the health care system" (Lynch, 1999).

forensic occupational therapy:
"occupational therapists work in all areas of Forensic Psychiatry. The majority work in medium secure settings, such as Regional Secure Units; some in high-security hospitals, such as the Special Hospitals; and a few in prisons. Key areas of intervention include use of therapeutic activities in risk assessment, development of self-esteem, and preparation for return to the community" (Home Office, 1997).

forensic pediatric nursing:
"the application of nursing knowledge to the provision of care and concern to under the age of majority individuals with regard to any abuse and/or neglect and legal or human rights issues" (Kent-Wilkinson, 1997).

forensic psychiatric nursing:
"forensic psychiatric nursing is a relatively new branch of nursing under the broader term of mental health care. There are some that hold that it is a new discipline with a unique body of knowledge albeit uncharted. Others believe that it merely represents generic psychiatric nursing directed toward a specific patient population, that of the mentally abnormal offenders" (Mason & Mercer, 1998, p. vii).

forensic psychiatric nursing:
"the application of psychiatric knowledge to the provision of mental health care to the mentally disturbed individual" (Day, 1983, p. 36).

sexual assault nursing - (clinician or examiner):
"(title is a matter of program preference) a registered nurse who has been specially trained to provide comprehensive care to sexual assault survivors. She is usually certified by her local institution after completing a training program of approximately 40 hours. Demonstrated competence in conducting a comprehensive evidential examination is also required" (Ledray, 1994, p. 7).