Forensic Nursing

Question 1

What is a forensic nurse?

Answer 1

Nurse who integrates psychiatric and mental health nursing within social and cultural context in the criminal justice system. They care for offenders that have mental health disorders

Question 2

Where can forensic nurses work?

Answer 2

Forensic units in hospitals, jails, institutions for young offenders, in the community, and in the court system

Question 3

T or F: People with mental health issues are 3x more common to commit crimes

Answer 3

True

Question 4

Deinstitutionalization link to offenders?

Answer 4

Downsizing institutions has cause people with mental health issues to be released and live in the community. This can lead them to making bad choices and ending up in jail

Question 5

T of F: Mental health treatment is lacking in correctional facilities

Answer 5

True

Question 6

Criminalization of mentally ill?

Answer 6

Correctional facilities have become psychiatric institutions with access to psychiatric care only occurring after they have been criminalized.

Question 7

What has led correctional facilities to becoming psychiatric institutions by default?

Answer 7

Mental healthcare resource shortages and fragmented systems

Question 8

When does criminalization of person with mental illness occur?

Answer 8

Person with untreated mental illness will commit a crime and enter the justice system rather than the healthcare system

Question 9

Custody and caring for nurses?

Answer 9

Forensic nurses are charged with providing social good (like healthcare) within institutions dedicated to providing social necessities (confinement). To provide care and to punish are contradictory mandates. Nurses must meet demands of custody (confinement and security) and caring.

Question 10

Health determinants and issues for the forensic client?

Answer 10

Have mental health issues, physical challenges, substance use issues, psychosocial issues, have relapse issues (recovery is hard), literacy and homelessness issues, are totally dependant on system (correctional or healthcare), experience lots of discrimination/stigmatization, and they lack supportive relationships/can be very vulnerable.

Question 11

What is vulnerability?

Answer 11

Person/population considered vulnerable when attributes, factors, or assigned status places them at greater risk of injury or poor health when compared to others

Question 12

What is UST and NCRMD under corrections and conditional release act?

Answer 12

1. UST- unfit to stand trail (unable to understand consequences of trial so judge can give them a conditional release, they still can be found fit at a later day)
2. Not criminally responsible on account of mental disorder (someone has committed a crime but isn’t responsible d/t a mental illness, at the time of the act the accused suffered from a mental disorder)

Question 13

Recovery for forensic client?

Answer 13

1. Clinical recovery through symptom relief
2. Functional recovery through improving life skills
3. Social recovery through community reintegration
4. Personal recovery through achieving life satisfaction despite illness
5. Offenders recovery through redefinition of self

Question 14

Female population?

Answer 14

The overall number of female offenders have been increasing (still a small percentage) and indigenous women have increased way more (73% in a 10 yrs period). Women participate in a lot of self injurious behaviour.

Question 15

The older forensic clients?

Answer 15

Growing old in prison is a harsh reality, they experience physical healthcare needs (diabetes, arthritis, cancer), dementia. They can sometimes have a compassionate release (parole by exception, doesn’t happen often for safety reasons). Palliative care is something the correctional facility will need to put into place .

Question 16

Youth clients?

Answer 16

Have high rates of mental disorders (especially ADHD, depression, substance use- all high among youth in custody). Sometimes they don’t get treatment because their behavioural problems hide their mental health problems. Number of indigenous youth have been rising. There is high rates of FASD (fetal alcohol spectrum disorder) and they have higher risk of being incarcerated.

Question 17

Transgender clients?

Answer 17

There is more on facilities because of the way society is now, they’re more vulnerable, they have physical and sexual violence from others. The system isn’t designed to provide services for transgender people.

Question 18

Culturally diverse client?

Answer 18

Challenges with indigenous people (have higher rates of crimes). There is challenges to providing culturally sensitive services.

Question 19

Families members that are forensic clients?

Answer 19

Some clients can be forgotten about (like is kids dont have a parent or if a spouse is in jail). This will affect the family’s functioning

Question 20

Nurse-client relationship in forensic nursing?

Answer 20

Through this the nurse can gain a deeper understanding of what’s going on with the person. Nurses need to set aside personal beliefs and emotions when caring for forensic clients. Nurse will need to set boundaries.

Question 21

Why is manipulation a concern in nurse client relationship?

Answer 21

It involves the use of deceit to reach a goal that can’t be pursued openly (like escape).

Question 22

What is othering?

Answer 22

The way one perceives and engages with another person. It can exclusionary/negative (i.e. the other is different from me and thus less than me) or inclusionary/accepting (the other is different that me, so I need to learn about their worldview).

Question 23

What is static, dynamic, and relational security?

Answer 23

1. SS- use structural/environmental parts for security (video monitoring, walkie talkies, security personnel stationed at one point)
2. DS- the ways things operate in the facility (like interaction between staff and inamtes)
3. RS- knowing the client and context of the environment, its about the relationship going on between staff and the patients(most challenging and most issues occur here)

Question 24

Societal norms for imprisonment?

Answer 24

Societal expectations think that imprisonment will deter others from committing crimes and it contributes to community safety

Question 25

Who is humane care defined by?

Answer 25

Society including politicians, media, and the public.