Introduction
Each community is in need of well-trained nurses who may assist in promoting health, predicting diseases, and improving the quality of life. The role of a forensic nurse is crucial for different populations as it combines medicine and law (Drake, 2019). This community health nurse may work in hospitals or police departments to support crime victims or with pathologists to investigate true causes of death.
The selected community includes the suburban population on SW 152nd Street, Miami, Florida, and a forensic nurse could work in a hospital, community clinic, or public health department office and help infants, adolescents, seniors, or even pregnant women who have already become crime victims or may be under threat. In a community where crimes are not frequent, the role of a forensic nurse cannot be diminished because the task is also the prevention of negative crime outcomes and promotion of high quality of life.
Community Setting
A community for a forensic nurse is located in the suburban region in Miami, FL. It is a long street with a number of single-family detached homes, parks, supermarkets, restaurants, and healthcare facilities. One of the possible community settings is Jackson Health System, a medical facility where any person who opens the doors can ask for help and care. Effective nursing, thorough care, and professionals of the medical staff contributed to the development of forensic nurse practice. The populations to be served in this setting are different members of families, including young mothers, working fathers, infants, adolescents, and grandparents.
Regarding the necessity to work with people of different ages, a forensic nurse develops various approaches to understand how to help crime victims, prevent the possibility of being a victim, and survival outcomes. Children continue going to schools, communicating with friends, and trust their parents. Young women become confident and are ready to protect themselves in any situation. Seniors are usually challenged by the necessity to survive a threat or a crime due to disabilities, potential problems with the heart, and other chronic diseases. All information has to be legally appropriate due to its possible use in the court or an investigation process (Drake, 2019).
The population should have access to medical care where a forensic examination is developed to gather necessary evidence samples (du Mont, Kosa, Macdonald, Elliot, & Yaffe, 2016). Nurses may give medication and immunization recommendations to patients. Finally, referrals and follow-ups are required regardless of the type of crime or the age of a patient.
Health Promotion Nursing Intervention
Forensic nursing interventions are based on treatment, care plans, and actions in terms of which patients reach specific goals. Health promotion is the main focus in the work of a forensic nurse. Regarding the community setting, a low rating of crimes in this area, and a number of different-aged people, education on the purpose to avoid dangerous situations or take urgent steps when health is under threat because of a criminal will be chosen.
Education may be applied to children and their parents with the intention to predict harm. An older adult can also learn something about elder abuse and the major reactions to deviant behavior (du Mont et al., 2016). An education session will include a practical guide for ordinary people who have unfortunately survived a criminal event and want to prevent further injury in their lives, as well as for people who have not faced any threats but want to be prepared.
A nurse could collaborate with local hospitals, urgent care clinics, and community centers to find out people who are in need of help. In this case, the implementation of the intervention should be divided into several sections: a first meeting and the introduction of intentions, a second meeting and the discussion of a situation, and following meetings to improve the quality of life. It is also possible to contact a local public health department office or a counseling clinic in order to communicate with the population and predict crimes that may hurt human health. Sometimes, elderly people are not eager to admit their vulnerability and disclose abuse (du Mont et al., 2016). A forensic nurse should use supplementary methods, personal observations, and communication to find out the truth and help a person even against his/her will.
Professional Nursing Organization
The American Association of Legal Nurse Consultants (AALNC) is a non-profit organization to supports forensic nurses. The mission statement of the team is to provide registered nurses with the necessary professional advancement and promote education and different forms to exchange information (American Association of Legal Nurse Consultants, n.d.). The education of nurses improves the quality of care offered, and the need for certification is a golden standard in forensic nursing.
People who have survived a crime expect to receive effective counseling from a professional nurse. The AALNC aims to improve the quality of help by providing novice and veteran training programs. As a result, the elderly and modern young mothers could find participation in a forensic nursing intervention a solid contribution to their health and prediction of crimes. When people are confident in the level of nurse professionalism, they are eager to cooperate and share their concerns.
Summary
In general, the role of forensic nurses should not be neglected in all communities. It does not matter if crimes are frequent in the region or not, forensic counseling is always a good chance to improve the level of knowledge, find out some new aspects of care, and discuss public health concerns that must be solved. In Florida, education that is offered by a forensic nurse and supported by the AALNC is a solid contribution to public health and the prediction of severe outcomes of crime.
References
American Association of Legal Nurse Consultants. (n.d.). About us. Web.
Drake, S. A. (2019). Forensic and correctional nursing. In M. A. Nies & M. McEwen (Eds.), Community/public health nursing: Promoting the health of populations (7th ed.) (pp. 646-659). St. Louis, MO: Saunders/Elsevier.
du Mont, J., Kosa, D., Macdonald, S., Elliot, S., & Yaffe, M. (2016). Development of skills-based competencies for forensic nurse examiners providing elder health care. BMJ Open, 6(2), pp. 1-6. Web.