Seattle University Collaborative Projects - International Academy of ...

By the end of the twentieth century, forensic nursing educational programs began to appear inthe curricula of colleges and universities. The forensic focus has been a popular career choiceand area of study for many of the health science disciplines. By the mid-1990s, some of theearliest forensic nursing courses were established. Considering that the first Web-based coursewas not launched until 1995 in California (Bates & Poole, 2003), forensic nursing educationmade its online appearance on the global scene relatively quickly. Forensic nursing educators,supported by progressive administrators, used the technology to offer the first online forensiccourse in January of 1997, at Mount Royal University in Calgary, Alberta, Canada (Kent-Wilkinson et al., 2000). Today, courses exist at educational levels that range from certificate todoctoral programs. This presentation will focus on the power of using advanced technology andthe value of international collaborations in the pedagogy of multidisciplinary forensic courses.This session will also highlight findings of Dr Kent-Wilkinson’s research that explored manyaspects of forensic nursing education: definitions of forensic nursing, how forensic nursing rolesare different from other disciplines, the unique knowledge of this specialty, and social factorsinfluencing course development.Sexual Boundary Violations in the Forensic Mental Health MilieuCindy Peternelj-Taylor, University of Saskatchewan (cindy.peternelj-taylor@usask.ca)The ability to create and maintain treatment boundaries with forensic clients has been describedas one of the most important competencies required by clinicians practicing in forensic mentalhealth settings. When mental health professionals fail to establish or maintain therapeuticboundaries, they are at risk of “crossing the line” and becoming over involved with their clients.In practice, over involvement frequently leads to sexual boundary violations. This presentationgives voice to sexual boundary violations as discussed by nurses who participated in aphenomenological study exploring nurse engagement with forensic clients. Illustrated as a “realeye opener”, sexual boundary violations with forensic clients have grave clinical, ethical andlegal implications. And while the responsibility for establishing and maintaining professionalboundaries rests with the mental health professional, some would argue that many forensicclients are skilled at manipulation and exploiting situations for their personal gain, thuscontributing to a blurring of the lines of responsibility when sexual boundary violations do occur.It is hoped that participants will move toward a more complex understanding of sexual boundaryviolations that occur in forensic mental health, which may allow them to better enact theirrelationships with forensic clients. Heightened awareness and understanding of the nature ofsexual boundary violations within forensic mental health settings will, regardless of one’sprofessional discipline, contribute to effective risk management, thereby indicating the need forfurther research. Strategies need to be developed within forensic mental practice that deal withissues surrounding sexual boundary violations before, during, and after they arise.19