Author Question: Which credential would be expected of an expert witness in the area of forensic psychiatric nursing? ... (Read 83 times)

penza · **on:** Jul 19, 2018

Which credential would be expected of an expert witness in the area of forensic psychiatric nursing?

a. 3 years of experience in an inpatient psychiatric facility
b. 10 years of experience in community health nursing
c. Educational preparation of an associate degree in nursing
d. Publication of three articles in peer-reviewed psychiatric nursing journals

Question 2

A guard tells an inmate diagnosed with schizophrenia to ask the desk officer for a mop and bucket, then get some water from the shower area and mop the kitchen and hall. The inmate does not comply.

The guard becomes angry and cancels the inmate's recreation time. Which action by the correctional nurse is most appropriate?

a. Document the inmate's response as indicative of resistance and psychopathology.
b. Do not intervene. Intervention is not part of a correctional nurse's scope of practice.
c. Confer with the prison psychiatrist regarding reevaluation of this inmate's antipsychotic medication regime.
d. Explain to the guard that this inmate has difficulty following multiple instructions. Suggest stating one idea at a time.

bulacsom · **Reply #1 on:** Jul 19, 2018

Answer to Question 1

ANS: D
To establish credibility as an expert witness and have one's opinion given equal weight to that of other professionals in court, the forensic nurse specialist must have current clinical expertise, trustworthiness, and a professional presentation style. The expert witness is an authority in a specialty area. If the expert has conducted research and published in the area, it is an added strength. Expert testimony is based on evidence-based practice. Forensic nurses with advanced degrees are more likely to be called upon as expert witnesses.

Answer to Question 2

ANS: D
Correctional nurses, like most direct-care nurses outside of corrections, have a professional responsibility to advocate for inmates regarding needed care. A psychiatric nurse would have an understanding of schizophrenia and recognize that the inmate's ability to process multistep instructions was impaired. Advocacy for the inmate is evident by educating the guard so he would not misperceive the reason the inmate did not respond. Documentation is needed for all nursing activities. Involving the psychiatrist might be of some value but is at best a passive form of advocacy, and again, as worded here, suggests that the nurse does not understand how schizophrenia contributed to the inmate's not responding to complex instructions.