lost or contaminated while nurses and physicians provide care in the acute care setting. Forensic nursing is now a well-developed specialty in forensic sciences [8]. A well-trained forensic nurse should be able to understand the principles and procedures of crime scene investigation. This is because a forensic nurse should interact with other specialists and other experts in the field of forensic sciences and should be able to interact with police officers, prosecutors, defense lawyers, crime scene technicians, crime scene investigators, and other experts in the fields of forensic sciences during the process of investigating crimes and adjudicating criminal cases. Forensic Mental Health and Nursing Nursing, by definition, is the protection, promotion, and optimization of health and abilities, prevention of illness and injury, alleviation of suffering through the diagnosis and treatment of human response, and advocacy in the care of individuals, families, communities, and populations [9]. Psychiatric mental health nursing is a specialty within nursing. Psychiatric mental health registered nurses (PMHN) work with individuals, families, groups, and communities, assessing their mental health needs. The PMHN develops a nursing diagnosis and plan of care, implements the nursing process, and evaluates it for effectiveness. Forensic psychiatrists work most closely with registered nurses who have chosen psychiatric mental health nursing as a specialty area and with advanced practice psychiatric mental health nurses who have chosen forensics as a subspecialty. Forensic nursing is a recognized specialty in nursing. This specialty allows for application of nursing art and science to clinical legal situations. The nurse’s level of education and practice experience greatly influences the role of the nurse on the health care team and the criminal justice team. Forensic mental health nursing is the intersection of mental health and the legal system [10]. Forensic psychiatric nurses work with offenders who have been deemed mentally disordered and need additional attention separate from the judicial/penitentiary system. Forensic psychiatric nurses work with mentally disordered offenders in secure psychiatric services where they assess the Citation: Sinisa Franjic. Role of the Nurse in Forensic Psychiatry. Sci J Research & Rev. 1(1): 2018. SJRR.MS.ID.000504. DOI: 10.33552/SJRR.2018.01.000504. Scientific Journal of Research and Reviews Volume 1-Issue 1 Page 3 of 3 patient (victim or perpetrator) and gather evidence that may influence conviction, sentencing, recidivism, treatment, and prevention. Forensic psychiatric nurses use their training to aid in the rehabilitation of criminal offenders, assess the wellbeing of crime victims, and serve as expert consultants for criminal proceedings. They most commonly work for law enforcement agencies and at facilities such as prisons, mental hospitals, and juvenile detention centers. Nurses often interface with patients who exhibit mental health issues in many practice settings: hospitals, clinics, physician and nurse practitioner offices, corrections settings, etc. The patient may present as a psychiatric emergency or may present for other healthcare problems, during which time the patient may exhibit long-standing mental disorders. Many of these patients may have forensic issues related to their care. They may have entered the clinical setting with a weapon, been injured during an altercation with law enforcement or directly with a victim, been a victim of a crime, or been involved in one of many other scenarios in which a person with mental disorders requires medical attention while also having legal problems. Frequently, the healthcare team must deal with the personality disorders common in offenders, concerns regarding violence and safety, and those with factitious disorders trying to feign mental illness to avoid jail or legal consequences. Conclusion Nurses participate in the implementation of many medical procedures (pressure measurement, giving injections, wound healing) and actively participate in providing nursing care in all areas of medicine. The job of a nurse is such that it always has to be extremely careful and every patient needs to approach with due respect. Patients suffering from a psychiatric disorder or having some mental illness require special treatment because they are people who, because of their psychophysical condition, make criminal acts. The work of nurses includes a wide range of events - from engagement in the overall treatment of the patient to participation in the expert witnessing procedure. Because of the complexity of the job, and under the assumption of good knowledge of medical disciplines related to solving specific cases in courts, the nurse of this profile should know well criminal law disciplines, especially criminal law, criminal procedural law, criminalistics and forensics. Acknowledgement None. Conflict of Interest No conflict of interest. References 1. Kjervik D (2010) The Interface of Nursing Law and Ethics. In: Kjervik D, Brous EA (Eds.), Law and Ethics in Advanced Practice Nursing. Springer Publishing Company, New York, p. 39. 2. Williamson T, Daw R (2013) Law, Values and Practice in Mental Health Nursing - A Handbook. Open University Press, McGraw-Hill Education, p. 91. 3. Douard J, Schultz PD (2013) Monstrous Crimes and