PubMed · 12656097
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William A Hammond. 2003. Do lucid intervals exist? 1883.. https://doi.org/10.1097/00005053-200303000-00008
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Pre-admission forensic nursing assessment is a tradition that has no research evidence base, little documentary support and is an expensive drain on nursing resources from clinical environments. Such an expensive practice warrants some evaluation of the quality of these nursing assessments. This study assessed the quality of nursing risk assessments through comparison with the HCR-20, a well-established and widely validated violence risk assessment instrument. There was a high degree of correspondence between nurse assessments and the contents of the HCR-20. The results offer support for forensic nurses' abilities to develop effective measures and practices based upon nursing knowledge and experience where no formal evidence base previously existed.
In attempting to practice within legal limits, psychiatric nurses must demonstrate safe and acceptable clinical practice. Clinical standards and legal standards change over time, and it can be difficult to be aware of all the changes that occur. Ways exist to minimize the risk of litigation, however. Keeping focused on the patient and attempting to provide the best clinical care possible should guide practice, not fear of litigation. It is wise to be familiar with the law, institutional policies, and professional standards, but nothing can replace sound clinical judgment.