If you look to the role and responsibilities visit the International Association of Forensic Nurses  IAFN.org

You can also learn of social marketing and the reach of the IAFN globally.

The Forensic Nurse is a specialty with many sub-specialties (sexual assault, correctional nursing, death investigation, elder abuse, child abuse, emergency preparedness and disaster management to name a few)

How can we promote the nursing role in forensic nursing?

How can we promote the nursing role in forensic nursing?

How can we promote the nursing role in forensic nursing?

hello dear nader

your questions is very thoughtful . when i see i glad to it

you can see these links

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365-2850.2006.00993.x/abstract

http://199.171.202.195/doi/10.1111/j.1365-2850.2006.00993.x/abstract;jsessionid=E6ADFFE5A15A1AFD169670AEC9AC6001.f03t04?deniedAccessCustomisedMessage=&userIsAuthenticated=false

Hi Nader, 

I think that you can see the articles about Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE). These nurses have too a forensic rol.

I agree the IAFN site is the best one ...they publish weekly briefs dealing with a variety of topics including those for autonomy and direction..they also work with SAFETA on Human Trafficking...

A very important question to examine .i would look at those valuable resources suggested by the above scholars and very much would take a qualitative or mixed method research approach and work closely with those forensic nurses to express what are those areas needed to promote given speciality.                                                    Kind regards 

Hello, I'm from Brazil and we are in consolidation process of this specialty. I'll point an article that might help.

Toward the Establishment of a Forensic Nursing Specialty in Brazil: An Integrative Literature Review. Esteves, Rafael Braga; Lasiuk, Gerri C.; Cardoso, Lucilene; More

Journal of Forensic Nursing. 10(4):189-198, October/December 2014.

http://journals.lww.com/forensicnursing/Fulltext/2014/10000/Toward_the_Establishment_of_a_Forensic_Nursing.4.aspx

Hi Nader

This is a great question. I want to make my input from the policy point of view because that is where i spent the last 19 years of my working life as a nurse manager.

I personally felt the need for forensic nurses a few years ago when I was Director of Nursing in the Ministry of Health, from which i retired last month. I managed to send one nurse for forensic training at the Kenya School of Criminal Investigations. After her training one thing became clear to that

Hi Nader

This is a great question. While agreeing and supporting views already presented, I want to make my input from the policy point of view because that is where I spent the last 19 years of my working life as a nurse manager. Forensic nursing awareness and training is generally lacking in developing countries. Our on case is not unique. Policy makers and health administrators lack knowledge that nurses require such knowledge and skills.

I personally felt the need for forensic nurses a few years ago when I was Director of Nursing in the Ministry of Health, from which I retired last month. Convincing colleagues at this level that nurses need to be trained in forensic nursing became next to impossibility. I managed to send one nurse for forensic training at the Kenya School of Criminal Investigations.

After her training one thing became clear to me: that every nurse needs some fairly reasonable knowledge and skills in forensic nursing, particularly in a developing country like Kenya. Two issues are critical here – clear and detailed documentation of observable evidence on admission and during care; and preservation of all forms of evidence encountered. By nature of their work nurses are best placed to assist victims of any crime seeking medical attention, and crime investigators deal with that crime effectively after treatment. Much such evidence are destroyed or just lost by omission or commission during care and treatment, beginning from first contact with healthcare services.

Any medical or surgical case can turn into legal inquiry or inquest. With poor records and poorly maintained evidence wrong people can easily get incriminated and culprits acquitted. Victims may also not receive justice as ought to.

Therefore this is something nurse researchers, managers, policy makers and educators need to explore in all countries.

By incorporating it into nursing curriculum as a course on its own, just like any other aspect of nursing. I believe this is d foundation to creating awareness about it and giving students the opportunity to have a firsthand knowledge which will guide them in making the decision t become forensic nurses. I never heard of forensic nursing until I did a course in mental health nursing.

There are 2 levels of education and training. Yes, all nurses should have some understanding of the basics and certainly how to screen for violence or abuse.

The Forensic nurse specialist has another level of training. Yes, to the basics but also to more advanced that would include training to collect evidence if a crime was committed, investigate deaths or accident sites and certainly how to work with traumatized patients. 

If you provide your locations I am happy to identify a resource in your country or help you to create a connection to resources. In this age, we can certainly make long distance learning available for your nurse generalists as well as your more advanced nurses. 

I also agree that policy makers should be involved in the process as education and training must be funded AND enforcement of using a forensic nurse and policy advocacy to recruit for training. I can guarantee you will find nurses who would be very interested in being trained in forensics.

I will invite a leader in the field of Forensic Nursing, Dr Barbara Monynihan to address your question. She is the most experienced forensic nurse that I know. 

I agree with Chris Rakuom. To empower  nurse's role in forensic nursing it demands review of scope of practice, competence, autonomy, collaboration, and accountability.

I just want to add to my earlier input that forensic nursing or forensic midwifery skills (depending on each local circumstance) is critical in maternal death reviews or inquiry, which are not necessarily criminal. This would facilitate quality care and help reduce maternal and neonatal or perinatal mortality

We wrote an article about  "Emergence of Forensic Nursing" in Switzerland. See:

Romain-Glassey, N., Ninane, F., de Puy, J., Abt, M., Mangin, P., Morin, D. (2014). The Emergence of Forensic Nursing and Advanced Nursing Practice in Switzerland: An Innovative Case Study Consultation. Journal of Forensic Nursing 10 (3) pp. 144-152.

Hi Nader.

Empower forensic nurses by making them collect and preserve evidences.  Nurses usually deal with humans that are alive. But in this case, they can deal with investigating the family, relatives or significant others in terms of history taking - another responsibilty which can be done by nurses autonomously.  

Autonomous practicing forensic nurses play an important role in a community that is why they need to be empowered.  Some middle income countries have such specialties. However, Malaysia do not have them yet.   

Overall, the Diploma in Nursing graduates should specifically take up post basic certificates in Forensic Nursing.  The core knowledge of this programme is looking at a course in criminology where preservation of evidences from human bodies are taught.

Countries with only the Bachelor of Science in Nursing has the best foundation so when then they take Post Basic Certificate in Forensic Nursing they are easily empowered by independently analysing the pathway of the diseases that occurred to the patient.  These BSC graduates can also be a part of the research committee and empower them to do research.

Hope i was able to help. 

Hi, 

Nurses can indeed play a role in forensic skills. In a developing country like Malawi nurses are frontline providers of care starting from assessment. Forensic nursing can be part of their training when doing their Bachelors degree. It can be embedded or intergrated in Nursing assessment module and this may be cost effective in a low resource country where specialization might be a challenge.

I did forensic nursing as part of my Masters degree in critical care and Trauma nursing outside Malawi and I found it very relevant and applicable in my profession as a nurse and also in my country.

Hope this helps

But I think it is necessary to write a Magna Carta for nurses role!

Who is agree with my opinion about writing a Magna Carta about nursing roles and duties in health setting for preventing overlap?

Is it a good proposal?

I am not familiar with the Magna Carta for your country. If it directs practice or education or policy, I would say yes, you must do that as a first step.

Please let me know if I can help you in any way.

All the best...Kathi

My mean is that there is not a distinct difference between nurses and doctors roles.

 Would you please clarify "health setting for preventing overlap"?