High,medium,and low security care: Does the type of care make any difference to the role of the forensic mental health nurse?

This paper describes a survey of the educational preparation of nurses working in high, medium and low security mental health settings. Data from focus groups and interviews were also content-analysed to yield a theory of nursing in secure environments comprising of statements of competency.

The competences were translated into a questionnaire and distributed to nurses working in high, medium and low security mental health settings. Respondents stated whether individual competences were part of their current practice or supervisory involvement, and the degree of importance they accorded to each competency.

The competence framework received widespread support from nurses at all levels of security in relation to their role description and level of importance. Results identified issues in relation to security and how procedures in parts of the system (notably in high security) militate against therapeutic care. Noticeable differences emerged between respondents working in high and medium secure environments in relation to involvement of the patient's family and preparation for discharge. Issues of concern common to all levels of security included teamwork, balancing security and therapy, boundaries of professional practice, and clinical supervision.