Qualitative Analysis of the Lived Experiences of Nurses on Forensic Teams

Abstract

Forensic nurses (FNs) can work in various settings such as children’s advocacy centers, hospitals, clinics, and emergency departments. Pediatric FNs focus on caring for vulnerable children in crisis and must respond empathetically to victims using trauma-informed care principles. They also support the families of child victims, who often experience shock and disbelief. Pediatric FNs and multidisciplinary teams (MDTs) handle complex family dynamics in child maltreatment cases, requiring robust skills to care for both patients and themselves to combat secondary trauma. Forensic professionals assess child abuse allegations, formulate safety plans, and make key recommendations. Understanding how they develop resilience is crucial, as better resilience is linked to retention in the field, which needs skilled professionals. In our qualitative study, we explored how FNs develop resilience during their careers. We interviewed a sample of eight experienced FNs from two different programs involved in the care of victims, including maltreated children and adolescents in the southeast United States to understand how they mitigate burnout, compassion fatigue, and secondary trauma. Our aim was to identify factors contributing to resilience in child abuse nursing, which can inform best practices to reduce these challenges among child abuse professionals.