The role of the clinical forensic nurse in critical care

The Forensic Nurse's Evolving Role in Addressing Elder Maltreatment in the United States

U.S. forensic nurses' specialization in elder maltreatment has evolved over the last 30 years. Significant progress in research has led to the ability to define and respond to elder abuse. This article describes the foundation for a specialization in nursing that led to inter vention in abuse and neglect, historical milestones as steps to elder justice, and the evolution of forensic nurse practice with senior victims of abuse.

Awareness of Forensic Cases Among Nurses: A Descriptive, Cross-Sectional Study

PURPOSE

This study reports the knowledge, experience, and attitudes of nurses toward forensic cases in Turkey; critically evaluates the appropriateness of current practices in the collection and preservation of evidence; and assesses nurses' level of awareness on the law enforcement perspective of forensic cases. The study, thereby, seeks to offer solutions to some practical difficulties faced by nurses in clinical practice in Turkey.

METHODS

The study involved 178 nurses of 202 employed in three healthcare centers operated by the same private healthcare group located in Istanbul, Turkey. The primary method of data collection was a questionnaire composed of three sections. The first section recorded data concerning the participants' age, gender, number of years spent in the profession, number of years spent in current workplace, department in which they worked, and their job title. The second section sought to assess the participants' academic background and, specifically, the extent of their educational training on forensic cases at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Finally, the third section aimed to assess the participants' knowledge of and approach toward the management of forensic cases in real-life time setting by collecting data on their previous experience with forensic cases.

RESULTS

Of 178 nurses, 139 (78.1%) were female and 39 (21.9%) were male. The mean age was 28.6 years, ranging from 18 to 51 years. The participants expressed that they experienced difficulties in medicolegal procedures (21.9%), evidence collection (14.0%), history taking and preparation of the patient (10.1%), forensic case reporting (10.1%), registry (9.0%), and physical examination (7.9%). The level of knowledge of the collection of forensic evidence and the protection of wet evidence was statistically higher among the participants who previously received training on the collection, preservation, and transfer of forensic evidence versus those who were not previously trained (p < 0.001 for both).

CONCLUSION

Our study results highlight the need for medicolegal regulations and legislation allowing for the creation of specific positions for forensic nurses in Turkey. We also concluded that these nurses should be trained and equipped with necessary knowledge and skills in forensic nursing.

Healthcare Personnel's Knowledge and Management of Frequently Encountered Forensic Cases in Emergency Departments in Turkey

BACKGROUND

Emergency department (ED) personnel frequently encounter incidents related to crime, violence, and suspicious injuries. The aim of this descriptive study was to determine the knowledge levels of ED healthcare personnel in their handling of frequently encountered forensic cases.

METHODS

A cross-sectional descriptive study composed of ED healthcare personnel at all state, education and research, and university hospitals with EDs, located in Ankara, Turkey, was completed. Participants at the 15 hospitals in question were interviewed via a questionnaire developed by the researchers.

RESULTS

Three hundred fifty healthcare personnel who worked agreed to participate in the study. The results show that ED healthcare personnel have less knowledge than expected of the right way to handle frequently encountered forensic cases. Very few of the healthcare professionals who participated in the study had received any training or education in the field of forensic nursing. Among participants, postgraduates, health professionals educated in forensic nursing, and healthcare staff who used additional resources to understand forensic cases, and those who had evaluated cases that presented to the ED as forensic cases, had significantly higher levels of knowledge.

IMPLICATIONS

This study supports the need for professional development in forensic nursing, such as in-service training, and curriculum development for a certificate in forensic nursing to enhance the practical training of healthcare professionals who work in EDs.

Role implications for nurses caring for gunshot wound victims

Emergency department registered nurses treat victims of violent acts because the emergency department is usually the initial area of treatment. The nursing care of gunshot wound victims includes not only physical and immediate needs but also forensic and anticipated needs. The purpose of this article is to describe 3 types of gunshot wound forensic evidence and the nurses' roles when treating victims of gunshot wounds.

Research and evaluation of clinical nurse mentoring: implications for the forensic context

The impact of mentoring programmes was examined in this extensive literature review. The effectiveness of such programs was considered for both the general clinical nursing and clinical forensic nursing environments. No literature discussing clinical nurse mentoring within forensic settings was discovered during the review, thus implications for this unique context are drawn from the current available literature.

The role of Victorian emergency nurses in the collection and preservation of forensic evidence: a review of the literature

Emergency Departments (ED) are providing care for increasing numbers of patients who present as a result of criminal or interpersonal violence and patients may be victims, suspects or perpetrators. As a result, the role of emergency nurses in the recognition, collection and preservation of forensic evidence is increasing. There is little published literature about the role and responsibilities of emergency nurses regarding the collection and preservation of evidence in the state of Victoria and this is complicated by a lack of department and organisation policy and the need for more specific educational preparation of emergency nurses in this area. While it is well accepted that the primary focus of nursing care will always be the physical and emotional care of the patient, the increasing importance of the role of emergency nurses in the recognition and collection of forensic evidence in Victoria is now being recognized and the need for education of emergency nurses in this area understood. This paper reviews the literature related to the recognition, collection and preservation, of forensic materials in EDs by emergency nurses in the state of Victoria and discusses the role of emergency nurses in Victoria in caring for patients who present as victims of violence and in whom the collection and preservation of forensic evidence is required.