Something special: forensic psychiatric nursing

In this paper the claims that forensic psychiatric nursing has achieved the status of a specialist area of nursing are refuted. An examination of the literature demonstrates that specialist knowledge and skills have not been documented. It is suggested that three requirements are necessary if forensic psychiatric nurses wish to achieve specialty status. Forensic nurses have to consolidate their role in the containment and care of patients, they have to return to the nurse–patient relationship as the foundation of psychiatric nursing practice, then, within that relationship, nurses must expand their practice to include dealing with offence issues.