Forensic Nursing Education for Pediatric Nurses: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Overview

This randomized controlled trial aims to evaluate the effect of structured forensic nursing education on pediatric nurses' forensic competency. Nurses working in pediatric clinics, pediatric emergency, and pediatric intensive care units will be randomly assigned to intervention and control groups. The intervention group will receive a four-week structured forensic nursing education program supported by case scenarios and educational brochures. The control group will receive no intervention during the study period. Data will be collected using a Personal Information Form and the Forensic Nursing Task Competency Scale at baseline, immediately after the intervention, and three months after the training. The findings are expected to improve pediatric nurses' knowledge, skills, and responsibilities in managing forensic cases.

This study is designed as a randomized controlled trial to evaluate the effectiveness of structured forensic nursing education on pediatric nurses' forensic task competency. The study population consists of nurses working in pediatric clinics, pediatric emergency departments, and pediatric intensive care units. Participants who meet the inclusion criteria and provide informed consent will be randomly assigned to intervention and control groups. The intervention group will receive structured forensic nursing education for four weeks. The training will include topics such as definition of forensic nursing, types of forensic cases in pediatrics, legal responsibilities, mandatory reporting, evidence collection and preservation, chain of custody, documentation, and psychological support. The education will be delivered using PowerPoint presentations, interactive discussions, case scenarios, and educational brochures. Each session will last approximately 45-60 minutes. The control group will not receive any training during the study period. After completion of the study, the same training program will be offered to the control group for ethical considerations. Data will be collected at three time points: baseline (pre-test), immediately after the training (post-test), and three months after the intervention (follow-up). Data collection tools include a Personal Information Form and the Forensic Nursing Task Competency Scale. The primary outcome of the study is the change in forensic nursing competency scores. The results of this study are expected to contribute to improving pediatric forensic case management and enhancing nurses' competency in forensic responsibilities.