Mobile Simulation: Expanding Forensic Nursing Education to Underserved Regions.

Area of Science:

• Forensic Nursing
• Medical Simulation
• Public Health

Background:

• Forensic nursing integrates healthcare and legal systems, providing care to violence survivors and collecting evidence.
• Nurses in underserved regions face challenges like isolation and limited resources, impacting competence.
• Ongoing evaluation of clinical and communication skills is crucial for forensic nurses.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of a mobile simulation unit for forensic nurse education.
• To address educational gaps and improve clinical skills in rural forensic nursing.

Main Methods:

• Development of a forensic mobile simulation unit for onsite, experiential education.
• Conducted 3 simulation training sessions in rural areas, featuring 2-3 day programs.
• Included hands-on patient encounters with simulated patients.

Main Results:

• The mobile unit provided tailored simulations on sexual assault response, forensic photography, communication, and strangulation.
• Participants demonstrated improved knowledge retention, communication abilities, and confidence levels.
• The simulation addressed key areas of forensic nursing practice.

Conclusions:

• Mobile simulation is a convenient and scalable method for forensic nurse continuing education.
• This approach effectively bridges geographic and educational disparities.
• The training improved patient safety and clinical proficiency for forensic nurses.