An ethnographic study of nurses in a forensic psychiatric setting: education and training implications.

The number of nurses working in forensic and prison settings has been increasing in recent years. Studies have confirmed the need for special knowledge and skills for these nurses, who face the challenge of working with patients with extreme behavioural problems. This need is strengthened by the changing pattern of mental health care in Australia as health departments attempt to manage all forensic patients within the hospital system. However, studies in the area of forensic nursing have been few and there has been concern about the survey-type research already undertaken because it does not reflect the real world of forensic nursing practice. This study was an attempt to make sense of what nurses do in forensic psychiatric settings and to identify their educational needs. The intention was to gain an understanding of the nurses' working reality through research.