Following in the footsteps of Virginia Lynch: the attitudes of Israeli emergency department nurses toward the role of forensic nurses: a descriptive cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to examine ED nurses' self-reported frequency of performing selected forensic-related tasks and their perceived importance of these tasks. METHOD: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted between November 16, 2023, and April 5, 2024, among 438 nurses working in Israeli hospital EDs. Data were collected using an online questionnaire that included demographic and professional characteristics, self-reported frequency of performing selected forensic-related tasks, and perceived importance of these tasks. Data were analyzed using Pearson correlations, independent-samples t-tests, one-way analysis of variance, and hierarchical linear regression. RESULTS: The participants' ages ranged between 23 and 76 years (M = 39.66, SD = 8.83), and their mean professional experience was 10.75 years (SD = 9.32, Range = 0.1-43). Only a minority of participants had received training in forensic nursing during their studies (7.5%), but most (88.4%) expressed a wish to receive training in this area. The self-reported frequency of performing selected forensic-related tasks was relatively low (M = 2.26) on a scale from 1 to 5, indicating that ED nurses reported performing these selected tasks infrequently. The perceived importance of performing these tasks was relatively high (M = 4.01) on a scale from 1 to 5, indicating that ED nurses recognized their importance. Older nurses, nurses with a master's degree, nurses with greater professional experience, and nurses wishing to receive training in forensic nursing were positively associated with perceived importance. CONCLUSIONS: The low self-reported frequency of performing selected forensic-related tasks, together with their high perceived importance, may reflect gaps in forensic nursing education and training, as well as a need to further clarify organizational support for managing forensic-related situations in ED practice. These findings suggest a need to integrate forensic nursing content into nursing education and to further examine institutional and regulatory frameworks relevant to forensic-related situations in ED practice.