Background: Appropriate clinical decision making (CDM) is very important for emergency nurses when working with forensic patients with violence-related injuries and can improve patient outcomes. Therefore, it is essential for emergency nurses to have the basic skills to make the right clinical decisions when working with forensic patients.
Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate the CDM of emergency nurses when caring for forensic patients.
Methods: This study was conducted using a cross-sectional design. Nurses working in the seven emergency departments of Rasht hospitals, Guilan Province, Iran, were recruited to take part in the study. Data collection was performed via census sampling from September to November 2019. Data were collected via a two-part questionnaire developed by the researcher(s) that addressed (a) demographic characteristics and (b) simulated scenarios that assessed their CDM in caring for forensic patients.
Findings: One hundred ninety-two emergency nurses participated in this study. The mean score of CDM in forensic nursing was moderate (56.46; 95% CI [54.49, 58.43]). Of the participants, 60.42% of the emergency nurses had moderate CDM knowledge related to forensic nursing, whereas only 2.8% had desirable knowledge of CDM. There was a statistically significant relationship between CDM in forensic nursing and the history of encountering forensic patients ( p = 0.008).
Conclusion: CDM scores regarding emergency nurses' knowledge of forensic nursing were moderate. Knowledge of and CDM in forensic nursing is very important and provides high-quality safe care for forensic patients.
Implications for clinical forensic nursing practice: This study highlights the importance of additional education and professional development in forensic nursing, for emergency nurses, and should be considered further by nursing administrators and nursing educators.
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