Examining the professional profiles, knowledge, and experience of nurses working in forensic psychiatry

INTRODUCTION: This study was conducted to determine the sociodemographic and professional characteristics, knowledge, and experiences of nurses working in forensic psychiatry.
METHODS: The research was conducted from September 2024 to January 2025 following ethical approval and included 78 nurses working in forensic psychiatry. The nurses were administered a questionnaire comprising 31 items developed by the researchers. The data were analyzed using SPSS 22.
RESULTS: Of the nurses, 65.4% (n=51) were male, the mean age was 40.75±8.41 years, and the mean duration of professional experience was 16.91±8.75 years. A total of 62.8% (n=49) of the nurses had been working in the forensic psychiatry unit for more than four years. Additionally, 79.5% (n=62) had a bachelor's degree, 21.8% had a certificate in psychiatric nursing, and 59.0% (n=46) had started working in the forensic psychiatry unit through appointment. Furthermore, 67.9% (n=53) worked in a high-security unit, and 24.4% (n=19) worked in a regional psychiatric hospital. Most nurses (87.2%) were satisfied with working in their units; however, 60.3% reported receiving no information about forensic psychiatric nursing, and 71.8% reported needing more information about forensic psychiatric nursing care.
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: The findings revealed that most nurses were undergraduate graduates, had professional experience in forensic units, and were satisfied with their work in this area; however, they did not consider their current level of knowledge in forensic psychiatric nursing sufficient. More studies should be conducted on forensic psychiatric nursing, and the knowledge gaps encountered by nurses working in these units should be addressed urgently. It is recommended that continuous and comprehensive training programs be established.

Keywords: Forensic psychiatric nursing, forensic psychiatry, psychiatric nursing