A forensic mental health nurse often deals with people who have been charged with crimes.
A forensic mental health nurse often plays an important role in treating people with mental illness who have been charged with or convicted of crimes. She can also work in hospitals to help determine if the cause of an injury is really what the patient or family members say. Often, a person with this title helps determine the appropriate treatment or treatment center for a person with a mental illness. Typically, a person needs a nursing license and a master’s degree in nursing to work in this field.
Forensic mental health nurses can work with couples to help identify relationship problems.
Often, a person with this title helps assess people in jails or prisons, as well as people who have been charged with crimes but have not yet been arrested. Your job in this case is to help determine if a person has a mental health problem and make sure he gets proper treatment if he does. In some cases, a person with this title also helps determine the location of those people, such as deciding whether a person should be committed to a mental institution instead of prison. Additionally, a forensic mental health nurse may play a role in determining whether or not a person poses a safety or security risk.
Forensic mental health nurses can assess the mental well-being of inmates.
In many cases, a forensic mental health nurse also has the role of evaluating patients who seek medical attention in hospitals or urgent care units. Your work may include using the results of an exam, a diagnostic test, and a conversation with a patient to determine if a person has been in an accident or has been abused by another party. A forensic mental health nurse can, for example, be helpful in determining whether a woman’s broken ribs were the result of an accidental fall or abuse by her husband. It can also help determine if injuries were self-inflicted due to a mental health issue. It can also help assess whether a person is suicidal or just acting suicidal to escape some form of punishment.
A forensic mental health nurse may be asked to determine if a patient has been in an accident or has been abused by another party.
Forensic mental health nurses often help assess the correct course of treatment for a patient or determine if treatment is needed. For example, in a jail or prison, it can help determine if the patient needs medication or if they should be treated in a mental institution or ward rather than remain in the general prison population. This often means working with some of the most dangerous inmates.
To become a forensic mental health nurse, a person typically needs to earn a bachelor’s and master’s degree in nursing. Choosing forensic nursing or psychiatric nursing in graduate school can increase a person’s chances of landing this job. A person can also enroll in a forensic nursing certification program to prepare for this career. A nurse’s license is usually required as well. Also, in some jurisdictions, a nurse may need a special license to work in jails and prisons.