Please help w/ project. I need questions answered from a Nurse

[MelNY29]

Hi everyone! I am an Undergrad taking pre-reqs in an attempt to apply for an acclerated nursing program. I have to do a project to help me see if Nursing is truley the route for me. I am especially interested in Forensic Nursing, as well as Psychiatric. I currently hold a BS in Behavioral Science and think this route would allow me to utilize my current degree and BSN. I have a strong passion for psychology and the medical field. I would like to interview one more Nurse or have them answer a few quick questions for me via e-mail. I really think interviewing a Forensic Nurse would help make this a real learning experience.

Can anyone please help me with this? It will only take a few minutes and would help so much as I do not know any Nurses personally and the ones I called to try and set up an interview with were very rude. Very hard to find a Forensic Nurse, as well. If so can you please respond to this post or PM me? If you cannot PM me yet please respond and I will post my e-mail address to send you the questions that I have. Thanks in advance! Mel

[mentalhealthRN]

I have not worked specifically as a forensic psych nurse but here where I live the state psych facility has a forensics unit. Those are truly forensic psych patients. Needing to be locked away in prison but too psychiatrically unstable. I have worked with some on a regular inpatient psych unit--a general adult unit--and had some that may fall into that category sort of. Not currently doing "time" but with a history of doing time. Your looking at a lot of anti-social personality disorder, psychosis/schizophrenia, and sociopaths. There is some frustration to working with these folks as there really is little successful treatment for a dx of sociopath and ASPD....and that is coming from the forensic psychiatrists I worked with in the Psych ER. They often didn't admit them saying that therapy doesn't work and meds don't work for these folks so unless they end up in the prison system or a forensic psych locked facility they are on the streets. Sad I know--we wait for them to commit a crime it seems. Yeah I suppose if you have a pt who committed a crime due to dilusions from some form of psychosis and they don't have a dx of ASPD or a sociopath--then yeah there is a shot with meds to break through and see the person get better.

Good luck to you. Not sure I can tell ya much else but hope this helps.

[Popwhizbangz, LPN]

I'm psych, although havea fair amount of forensic experience- folks or their families avoiding court, drug dealers, et al and/or seeking a viable legal defense from a psych eval. I'd be happy to help. Also know a guy with lots of forensic experience, he's been pen pals with Zmanson and others... (not a nurse but he has lots of great stories)...