CardiovascularANA And International Association Of Forensic Nurses Co-Publish First Standards For Forensic Nursing
The American Nurses Association (ANA) and the International
Association of Forensic Nurses (IAFN) released Forensic Nursing: Scope and
Standards of Practice, a comprehensive reference guide that identifies and defines the
expectations for the role and practice of the forensic nurse. Forensic nursing focuses not
only on providing patient care, but its practitioners also collect evidence, counsel patients
and communicate with professionals in legal systems.
Developed by a panel of nurse experts convened by the ANA and the IAFN, the guide
outlines six standards for forensic nursing practice and nine standards for professional
performance. In addition, the guide articulates the essentials of this specialty, its
accountabilities and activities - the who, what, when, where and how of its practice - both
for specialists and generalists and those who work with them. Forensic nurses are among
the most diverse groups of clinicians in the nursing profession with respect to patient
populations served, practice settings, and forensic and healthcare services provided. Yet all
forensic nurses apply a unique combination of processes rooted in nursing science, forensic
science, and public health to care for patients.
In addition to recommended standards of professional performance, the book"s summary
discussion of the scope of forensic nursing practice -- including characteristics, trends,
education, practice environments, and its ethical and conceptual bases -- lends an informative
and broad context for the reader"s understanding and use of these standards.
While Forensic Nursing: Scope and Standards of Practice is a reference primarily for
practicing nurses and nursing faculty and students, it is also an essential document for other
specialists in forensic care, such as healthcare providers, researchers, scholars, and those
involved in funding, legal, policy, and regulatory activities.
The American Nurses Association (ANA)
The International Association of Forensic Nursing