title: Criminalistics and the forensic nursing process.
abstract: Students learn science by actually performing science activities. The 12 laboratories described in this article assist students in applying the fundamental techniques germane to the field of forensic science to "solve" contrived cases and present "evidence" in a mock trial. Moreover, students are also confronted with some of the legal and ethical issues concerning the validity, reliability, and application of some forensic techniques. The pedagogical design of the laboratory course provides a rich, challenging, and interdisciplinary academic experience intended to augment and compliment the didactic forensic lecture portion of the course. This laboratory course was designed to engender, embody, and articulate one of the University's directive goals to support interdisciplinary teaching, research, and programming. Because we developed the laboratories on minimal funds, we demonstrated that it could be cost-effective. And thus, we recommend a laboratory science course be included as part of the curriculum of all forensic nursing students and practitioners.
authors.affiliation: Professor, Psychiatric Nursing, William F. Connell School of Nursing, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467, USA. burges@bc.edu
authors.forename: Ann Wolbert
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Burgess
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Piatelli
authors.forename: Georgia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pasqualone
mesh_terms: D001900:Boston; D019411:Clinical Laboratory Techniques; D003418:Criminology / Q000193:education*; D004864:Equipment and Supplies / Q000191:economics; D005104:Expert Testimony; D053604:Forensic Nursing / Q000193:education*; D006801:Humans; D016730:Program Development; D013663:Teaching / Q000379:methods