Introduction
This essay will discuss forensic nursing and its role in a community setting described in an earlier windshield survey. Forensic nursing is a branch of the profession that concerns itself with public and legal matters as well as health care in the investigation of trauma or death. The community in question is Palmetto Bay in Florida, where the majority of the population is Hispanic or Latino. The CHN role would be necessary to investigate incidents of violence that ended in harm or death and to determine whether they were accidental. The primary populations served would be children and senior people. The purpose of the forensic nurse is to assist the authorities in investigating accidents and criminal incidents and to provide quality care to victims.
Community Setting
As mentioned above, the community is mostly populated by Hispanic and Latino people, who are friendly with each other. It can be classified as a middle-class suburban setting, as many people work in real estate and managerial professions. Many families own detached or semi-detached houses, and a neighborhood watch system has been arranged and is working. A variety of services is available in the vicinity, including parks, schools, daycare services, hospitals, and others. However, the community has an obesity problem, particularly with regards to children. The cause is most likely the overabundance of fast-food restaurants that provide quick and convenient but unhealthy food.
The services that would be provided by a forensic nurse in this setting would include providing care for victims, collecting evidence, and educating the patient about his or her rights. The necessary care will often have to be administered in a correctional facility and adhere to corresponding limitations. According to Renjith, Nikitha, George, Mhalkar, and Raju (2016), a forensic nurse’s duties related to evidence include forensic photography, body management, injury assessment, and other matters. Lastly, rights education involves the specific legal ramifications of the patient’s particular circumstances, such as the need to pursue legal action.
Health Promotion Nursing Interventions
The primary interventions available to a forensic nurse for the community described above would include the promotion of sexual assault and child abuse awareness. Tripathi, Arya, and Garg (2016) suggest strategies such as school-based education programs and parent monitoring for child abuse. Sexual assaults, on the other hand, can only be combated through increased knowledge dissemination. It is necessary to establish a supportive climate where victims would not be afraid to come out and speak about their experiences. As professionals who closely interact with the police on a constant basis, forensic nurses are subject to significant limitations in their activity and cannot act without proper authorization by the law.
A school-based educational program would consist of lessons held by nurses, who would explain the nature of domestic abuse and the necessary actions to take if a child is experiencing it. The campaign targeting sexual abuse would mostly be spread via media, such as advertising. In both situations, the nurses would attempt to establish themselves and specific other professionals as authority figures that one can visit to describe his or her case and get help. Ultimately, the role of the forensic nurse is passive, and one cannot mount independent investigations and try to discover criminal incidents. However, members of the profession are still obligated to report their suspicions to federal authorities.
Professional Nursing Organization
The most influential professional organization available to a forensic nurse would be the International Organization of Forensic Nurses (IOFN). There exists a local group called American Forensic Nurses, but it is primarily concerned with providing educational courses, and its facilities are all located in California. The International Organization of Forensic Nurses, on the other hand, describes itself as a membership organization and the recognized authority in the field. Its goal is to establish forensic nurses as an essential part of care related to violence and trauma. It provides opportunities for information exchange, mentoring activities, and collaborative research.
The IOFN provides a variety of services, particularly with regards to sexual assault and related examinations. The organization’s website offers a number of links to various resources related to the matter, and members can contact others to ask for advice or suggest opportunities for cooperation. Furthermore, IAFN promotes research by enabling members to find others to cooperate with and providing research grants. The benefits of the organization extend to most other aspects of the profession, as well, and can be relied on to support one in work.
Conclusion
The role of the forensic nurse is to provide care and education for victims of violence or accidents while collecting evidence. The community in question is a middle-class town in Florida, with a population that mostly consists of Hispanic and Latino people. The health promotion interventions available to the forensic nurse would be awareness promotion for child abuse and sexual assault. The International Association of Forensic Nurses was established to support members of the profession in all aspects of their professional work and should be relied on for support due to a lack of more local groups. Ultimately, the role of the forensic nurse is indispensable for a community, though there does not appear to be an unusually high need for one in the described setting.
References
International Organization of Forensic Nurses. (n.d.). About us. Web.
Renjith, V., Nikitha, S., George, A., Mhalkar, V., & Raju, N. J. (2016). Forensic nursing. Indian Journal of Forensic Medicine & Toxicology, 10(2), 159-162.
Tripathi, A., Arya, A., & Garg, K. (2016). Preventive psychiatry in children and adolescents: Current status and future. Journal of the Indian Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health, 12(1), 1-8.