Document Type
Poster
Publication Date
2020
Abstract
Forensic patients often have specialized healthcare needs that intersect with the law. The purpose of this paper is to propose the design and development of a new emergency department-based nursing role, the forensic nurse consultant. This role is meant to better coordinate holistic care for patients within the interdisciplinary team. An extensive literature review was conducted and found that there are not enough forensic nurses to adequately provide specialized care to forensic patients. Non-forensic healthcare providers caring for these patients often feel emotionally unprepared to meet the specialized needs of forensic patients. The necessary responsibilities of the forensic nurse consultant include consultation, clinical leadership, examination, evidence collection, and care coordination as she follows the patient throughout their stay. The author concludes that the forensic nurse consultant role would benefit the multidisciplinary team and the forensic patient population by providing specialized services and support. Further research is recommended to understand the financial and organizational feasibility of implementation of the forensic nurse consultant role.
