 |
| Unit.B.8.1.
Forensic Psychiatric/Correctional Education |
[Unit.B.8.1.]
[Unit.C.8.2.] [Unit.D.8.1.]
|
Australia |
focus
points
|
 |
|
"The
literature clearly demonstrates that mental health
nursing tends to be viewed negatively
by undergraduate nursing students. While
positive clinical experiences have been found to encourage
more favourable attitudes towards mental health
nursing, suitable placements are becoming
scarce. An evaluation of clinical placements at the
Victorian Institute of Forensic Mental
Health (VIFMH) was undertaken to determine whether
appropriate learning opportunities were offered, and
identify the impact of the placement on students'
attitudes to mental health nursing. The results suggest
that VIFMH provides valuable learning experiences
to increase students' understanding of mental health
nursing and is effective in producing
more positive attitudes towards this area of practice"
( Martin & Happell, 2001, p. 116).
"The
number of nurses working in forensic and prison settings
has been increasing in recent years" (Dhondea,
1995, p. 77).
"Studies
have confirmed the need for special knowledge and
skills for these nurses, who face the challenge of
working with patients with extreme behavior problems"
(Dhondea, 1995, p. 77).
"In
reviewing the literature on forensic nursing it was
found that very little had been written regarding
the work of nurses in forensic psychiatry and correctional
institutions" (Dhondea, 1995, p. 77).
"The
existing literature does indicate that nurses require
special skills to enable them to work effectively
in a forensic setting" (Dhondea, 1995, p. 77).
"This
need for education is strengthened by the changing
pattern of mental health care in Australia as health
departments attempt to manage all forensic patients
within the hospital system" (Dhondea, 1995, p.
77).
"Few
staff entering forensic psychiatry had received training
specific to forensic psychiatry or had previous experience
working in this area" (Snowden, 1985; cited in
Lloyd, 1995, p. 210).
"Students
and non health care staff such as lawyers, prison
officers, probation officers, could benefit from learning
about courts and prisons, institutional stress and
security, behavioral disorders, dangerousness, and
legal issues such as competence and informed consent"
(Gunn 1985; Lloyd, 1995, p. 210).
"A
recent development in countries such as Australia
and New Zealand, it is now possible for nursing and
allied health to take an elective course in forensic
psychiatry and to undertake a forensic placement,
for example in a special unit or prison" (Lloyd,
1995, p. 210).
|
Canada |
focus
points
|
|
"Post graduate
fellowship training in forensic psychiatry is a relatively
new and developing area in the field of psychiatry. In the
past medico-legal issues as they pertain to mental health
were adopted by general psychiatrists who gradually became
involved and attained a level of expertise through experience
and self education. Specialized skills in assessment, reports
and giving evidence in court is required. In addition knowledge
of mental health laws, institutions and the legal system
must be attained. With the advent of fellowship programs
in forensic psychiatry these skills no longer have to be
obtained in a haphazard manner. A core curriculum defines
the parameters of the knowledge and training guidelines
ensure adequate exposure" (Hashman, 1995, p. 98).
"In the
past, training in forensic psychiatry has been primarily
self taught, the interested clinician, by choice or circumstance,
would gradually obtain a level of expertise through experience
and self education" (Hashman, 1995, p. 98).
"The American
Board of Forensic Psychiatry was established in 1979 began
to certify people in the field of forensic psychiatry based
on their experience in the field and knowledge base obtained"
(Hashman, 1995, p. 98).
"Since 1979,
when the American Board of Forensic Psychiatry gave its
first certification exams in forensic psychiatry, the field
has grown tremendously. Currently there are 24 fellowship
programs in the United States and five fellowship programs
in Canada" (Hashman, 1995, p. 99).
"A core
curriculum has been devised to ensure that the wide array
of areas are adequately covered. Briefly these include civil
and criminal forensic psychiatry, legal regulation in psychiatry
evaluation of special issues, correctional psychiatry, basic
issues in law and landmark cases. Each of these areas is
quite substantial on its own. While no one can master all
of these areas, especially in the fellowship program, at
least one could get a sampling and understanding of the
breadth of the field" (Hashman, 1995, p. 99).
International |
focus
points
|
|
|
Sweden
"Nurses (registered nurses, RN, and licensed
mental nurses, LMN) working in five Swedish
forensic psychiatric units filled in a questionnaire
designed for general psychiatric nursing, but modified
for forensic use. In this report, data
regarding how nursing care could contribute to improved
care and the organizational changes needed and what
knowledge the nurses need, in order to be able to
meet the demands in the future, were analyzed by means
of content analysis. The salient findings were: (i)
an interpersonal patient-nurse relationship based
on trust, empathy, respect and responsibility for
the patients' personal resources and knowledge seems
to be the essence of nursing care and a way to improve
care; and (ii) the nurses' educational needs emanate
from different treatment modalities, how to perform
different treatments, how to establish developing
relationships and in-service training adapted to the
ward-specific problems" (Rask & Aberg, 2002).
"In
this final section we offer four brief cases of different
education initiatives which exemplify various aspects
of meeting forensic training needs. The courses we
comment on do not constitute a comprehensive account
of the availability of forensic practice training.
Though the number of institutions offering such training
is limited, there are many examples of excellence
in the field, and the volume of such training is likely
to expand as practitioner groups mature and develop
their knowledge and practice base. Rather, the selected
examples are included to allow us to address some
key issues in education and training, and, ultimately,
service development" (Kent-Wilkinson, Mckeown,
Mercer, McCann & Mason, 1999, p. 351).
"From
Canada there is a distance learning package, available
internationally over the internet, which facilitates
student's critical engagement with 'on-line' case
examples and scenarios" (Kent-Wilkinson, Mckeown,
Mercer, McCann & Mason, 1999, p. 351).
"Secondly,
there is the post-graduate diploma, leading to a Masters
degree, in forensic behavioural science, a traditional
academic course taught at the University of Liverpool"
(Kent-Wilkinson, Mckeown, Mercer, McCann & Mason,
1999, p. 351).
"From
the University of York is a course in psychosocial
interventions for severe and enduring mental health
problems, which brings together forensic and mainstream
mental health practitioners, and embraces experiential
approaches to skills acquisition and ongoing supervision
of clinical practice" (Kent-Wilkinson, Mckeown,
Mercer, McCann & Mason, 1999, p. 351).
"Finally,
we comment on a small scale training and development
programme working with a team of staff in the context
of their actual workplace, where the emphasis is on
the interaction between trainers and practitioners,
aimed at producing lasting changes in real life practice.
We conclude with some reflections on possible future
directions and challenges for forensic care"
(Kent-Wilkinson, Mckeown, Mercer, McCann & Mason,
1999, p. 351).
"National
Contexts - Given the fact that our examples are drawn
from the UK and North America, it may be helpful to
briefly outline the development of forensic practice
education from the different sides of the Atlantic.
In the United States the establishment of forensic
practice disciplines has been closely linked to the
correctional (prisons) system. Issues in education
can be exemplified with recourse to the development
of forensic psychiatric nursing, having its origins
in the US federal corrections system in the early
1930's (Furman 1973, Hufft & Fawkes 1994). In
1946, the first detailed policies governing nursing
activities in federal prisons was initiated by the
United States Prison Health Services" (Hufft
& Fawkes 1994) (Kent-Wilkinson, Mckeown, Mercer,
McCann & Mason, 1999, p. 351).
"It
can be argued that, historically, US schools of nursing
were less than responsive to the health needs of inmate
populations in their education of nurses. Then, the
Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s and 1970s created
an awareness of prisoner's rights as members of an
identified minority (Felton et al 1987). The subsequent
jailing of civil rights activists helped to usher
in legislative changes which resulted in the recognition
of a right to treatment and a focus of attention on
health care delivery within correctional facilities
(Bernier 1986). Nursing's professional interest in
prison settings began to emerge concurrently with
increasing societal concerns (Dubler 1979). Progressive
changes in correctional health care, beginning in
the late 1970s, supported a role change for nurses
to become the major provider of primary health care
in correctional facilities" (AMA 1978, Droes
1985) (Kent-Wilkinson, Mckeown, Mercer, McCann &
Mason, 1999, p. 352).
"In
the early 1980s, the literature began to cite the
use of correctional institutions for clinical learning
experience by students in community mental health
nursing (Bridges 1981). Of note, the Catholic University
of America School of Nursing was awarded a grant in
1986, from the National Institute of Mental Health,
to prepare forensic psychiatric nurses as clinical
nurse specialists at graduate level, to function in
all areas of the correctional system (Bernier 1986).
In 1984, Correctional Nursing was recognised as a
specialty by the American Nurses Association [ANA]
and the Scope and Standards of Nursing Practice in
Correctional Facilities was passed" (ANA 1984,
Hufft & Fawkes 1994) (Kent-Wilkinson, Mckeown,
Mercer, McCann & Mason, 1999, p. 352).
"In
1990, a survey of forensic psychiatric nurses supported
the acknowledgement of forensic nursing as a distinct
clinical subspecialty and sought special credentialing
for practice. Recent research in the United States
indicated that there were at least 2000 registered
nurses working in psychiatric forensic facilities
(Scales et al 1993). Forensic nursing was formally
recognized as a distinct discipline during the 1991
Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Forensic
Sciences in Anaheim, California (Lynch 1995); then,
in 1995, forensic nursing was recognized as a specialty
by the American Nurses Association and standards of
nursing practice were approved (ANA 1997). There are
now numerous elective courses in the forensic psychiatric
correctional area, dispersed throughout the United
States. Specific forensic correctional nursing programs
of study are being developed, or are now offered,
at Vanderbilt University, School of Nursing, in Nashville,
at the University of Maryland, in Baltimore, and at
Rudgers University, New Jersey" (Kent-Wilkinson,
Mckeown, Mercer, McCann & Mason, 1999, p. 352).
"In
Canada, forensic psychiatric services have been provided
federally by [CSC] Correctional Service Canada since
1973 (Conacher 1993) with guidelines for professional
conduct of health professionals established in 1977
(Lehmann 1983). Commencing in 1980, there has been
the opportunity for students to gain practical, clinically
based work experience in the correctional setting
and in the forensic psychiatric unit in Calgary, Alberta.
Phillip's (1983) survey indicated an identified need
to educate the public regarding the mentally ill offender,
and to convince government to allocate more funds
for the provision of forensic psychiatric services.
In 1988, Correctional Service Canada developed Standards
of Health Care (CSC 1988). Presently there are over
400 Correctional/Forensic Psychiatric nurses in Correctional
Service Canada (CSC 1997), with approximately identical
numbers in provincial forensic psychiatric services"
(Kent-Wilkinson, Mckeown, Mercer, McCann & Mason,
1999, p. 352).
"Canada's
geography, with forensic practitioners scattered throughout
the country across provincial and federal forensic
and correctional services, has led to feelings of
isolation for clinicians. These circumstances provided
the inspiration for harnessing the technology of the
internet to education, aimed at bringing some presence
of connectedness to forensic practice as a whole.
Distinct forensic educational courses are becoming
popular for students wanting to work in the field
and, also, of interest to those already established
in practice. The value of accessing and utilising
forensic people and resources internationally on the
Web is just beginning to be realized for future collaborations,
with a greater degree of international links promised"
(Kent-Wilkinson, Mckeown, Mercer, McCann & Mason,
1999, p. 352).
|
United Kingdom |
focus
points
|
|
"Instruction and education for nurses, in this era, was circumscribed by an intellectual climate of positivism, directed at a scientific understanding, prediction and control of pathology. "Trained nurses enhanced medial credibility but did not progress the care of the mentally ill because their training did not imply or encourage a questioning of the positivist basis of psychiatric treatment" (Chung & Nolan, 1994, p. 226; cited in Mason & Mercer, 1999, p. 239).
United States |
focus
points
|
|
| "The
growing interest in forensic nursing as a nursing subspecialty
is not by happenstance. Increased reports of violent
acts are a constant reminder of the violence in our
society. Violence is a multifaceted problem that is
intimately interwoven into our relationships, homes,
schools, workplaces and communities. The individuals
seen by forensic nurses primarily are victims of violence,
but they may also be perpetrators, survivors, individuals
falsely accused of violent acts, or as one patient put
it, an "overcomer" of violence. Consequently,
the responsibilities, roles and functions of the forensic
nurse are in part the nursing profession's response
to the sequelae of criminal and interpersonal violence
in society" (McKoy, 2002). |
Focus Points
Reference
Adshead, G. (1997). Career in forensic psychiatry. Student
BMJ, 5, 256-267. Retrieved December 19, 2002, from Academic
Search Premier database:
http://search.epnet.com/direct.asp?an=9709303049&db=aph
Dhondea,
R. (1995). An ethnographic study of nurses in a forensic
psychiatric setting: Education and training implications.
Australia and New Zealand Journal of Mental Health
Nursing, 4, 77-82.
Mason,
T. & Mercer, D. (1999). A sociology of the mentally
disordered offender. London: Addison Wesley Longman.
Martin,
T., & Happell, B. (2001). Undergraduate nursing
students' views of mental health nursing in the forensic
environment. Australian & New Zealand Journal
of Mental Health Nursing, 10(2), 116-125. Retrieved
December 20, 2002, from Academic Search Premier database:
http://search.epnet.com/direct.asp?an=4591180&db=aph
McKoy,
Y. D. (2002, October/November). Forensic nursing:
A challenge for nursing education. Forensic Nurse
Magazine. Retrieved October 15, 2002, from
http://www.forensicnursemag.com/articles/2a1feat5.html
Rask, M.,
& Aberg, I. (2002). Swedish forensic nursing care:
Nurses' professional contributions and educational
needs. Journal of Psychiatric & Mental Health
Nursing, 9(5), 531-539. Retrieved December 12,
2002, from Academic Search Premier: http://search.epnet.com/direct.asp?an=7438493&db=aph
|
Top
of Page
|
 |
Topic
B - Forensic Psychiatry > Section B.8.0. Forensic Future > Unit.B.8.1.
Forensic Psychiatric/Correctional Education
