Forensic Nursing" in Germany? - Tasks of nurses and medical assistants in forensic medicine using the example of diagnostics, care and documentation of the consequences of domestic violence.
supported by internal university funds
Project management:
Prof. Dr. phil. Beate Blättner
Prof. Dr. med. Henny Annette Grewe
Staff members:
B.Sc. Sascha Georgy
M.Sc. Kerstin Krüger
Duration: 01.06.2007 - 31.05.2008
Internationally, 'Forensic Nursing' is a field of nursing. In the USA, Great Britain and Australia, for example, nurses carry out assessments with women and children who have been affected by domestic or sexualised violence, document the findings so that they can be used in court, preserve evidence and organise medical and psychosocial support. This does not yet apply to Germany, although it can contribute to improving care, also from the perspective of those affected.
This raises the question under which conditions nurses (nurses, paramedics, medical assistants) in Germany could take over essential tasks in the care and documentation of the diagnosis of domestic violence.
- Systematic research on the state of research in the databases EMBASE, MEDLINE, CINAHL, PSYNDEXplus and the Cochrane Library.
- Focus groups with nursing professionals from different care settings (outpatient and inpatient nursing, psychiatric nursing).
- Expert Focus Group with representatives from the Ministry of Social Affairs, forensic medicine (victim outpatient clinic), home supervision, psychotherapeutic care, as well as project leaders from paediatric care and nursing care
- Expert interviews with paramedics and nursing professionals who currently hold administrative/managerial positions
Nurses and medical assistants recognise the following tasks for themselves:
- Recognise symptoms that indicate violence and address women according to the situation.
- Listen to victims of violence, advise them if necessary and inform them about possible further steps.
- Preserve evidence and take photos that can be used in court.
- Document evidence for use in court if this task is delegated and requested by the victims.
With these potential tasks, competences are required that the professionals currently only recognise for themselves to a limited extent.