Forensic Mental Health Nursing in Secure Hospitals and the Criminal Justice System

Aim: The paper aims to review literature, including research studies, on forensic mental health (FMH) nursing. Method: Literature searches were conducted, using Cumulative Index for Nurses and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), and other databases and sources. Most papers on FMH nursing, from these sources, are North American, European and Australasian. Results: The literature includes accounts, and related research, on FMH nurses' increasing involvement in relatively new services. Nurses have designed, validated and used risk assessment tools, and managed risk, but research has found that some service users experience problems from excessive risk management. There is evidence of the importance of communication to forensic service users, with many accounts of this topic. Research findings suggest the need for FMH nurses' self-awareness, and the importance of meeting service users' needs related to beneficial ward environments, physical health, cultural and other holistic needs, recovery and trauma-informed care. Research on initiatives to reduce seclusion use, and ethical issues, especially related to “security and therapy” roles are described in the literature, as are nurses' interventions using cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). There are mixed reports on the efficacy of CBT with service users experiencing schizophrenia, and findings indicating its efficacy in anger management. Limitations and Conclusions: This is an overview of aspects of forensic nursing often considered in relevant literature, rather than a systematic review. Accounts of FMH nursing in the literature surveyed may not reflect relevant practice, including communication, in non-Western societies. There is a need for systematic reviews of FMH nursing, including literature from non-Western countries.