Paper
Saturday, 22 July 2006
Forensic Nursing Cornered by the Law
Rik A. H. Koopman, BHSC, RN, Forensic Mental Health, GGZ Drenthe, Assen, Netherlands
| Learning Objective #1: gain insights into Dutch law in relation to Forensic Nursing in The Netherlands. This includes research data and political views on Forensic Nursing. |
| Learning Objective #2: hear the dillemma's faced by Mental Health Nurses working in Forensic Mental Health, their commitment to deliver excellent care, their fears and frustrations. |
In the Netherlands there are three sorts of hospitals dealing with clients with forensic psychiatric problems. Justice Department Hospitals (TBS, high security), Forensic Psychiatric Hospitals (FPK, medium security) and Forensic Psychiatric Units in regular Psychaitric Hosptials (FPA, low security). In this presentation I will describe the forensic mental health nursing issues from a FPK perspective. There are three Forensic Psychiatric Hospitals (FPK) in The Netherlands (Amsterdam, Eindhoven and Assen) and they are treatment settings, where nursing and psychiatric medical treatment, intensive care and safety measures are synchronised. Treatment goals are aimed for the minimisation of mental health problems and re-integration into society. In cases where this is not possible clients are referred back to i.e. the prison system or other mental health services like residentials. A direct relationship between a client’s legal status and nursing treatment does not exist in Dutch Forensic Psychiatric Hospitals. The only differences can be seen in freedom of movement, transport, discharge and the application of forced treatment. The Dutch Justice Department describes more then eleven different legal statuses. During this presentation I will describe three of them:1.Artikel 15.5 meaning: a hospital measure for prison inmates ,
2. Artikel 37 - meaning: a schedule ordered by the criminal court and,
3. T.B.S (Her Majesty’s Pleasure) meaning to be ordered to be detained and forced nursing d
The presenter will discuss these three different laws with the aid of three short case histories. These cases will show how forensic mental health nurses are faced with the advantages and disadvatages to differentiate, when referrals are made by probation and parole officers, prisons and the Justice Department and mental health treatment has started..
The effects of misjudging a referral for the FPK mental health nurses and the challenges to guard against these misjudgements are also discussed.
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