Students will acquire knowledge and skill and learn to apply concepts through a variety of means of instruction and activities, including: lecture, audio-visual aids, case studies, debate forums, critical thinking exercises and team work.
UNIT 1: INTRODUCTION TO NURSING WITHIN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM
Identify and describe health care services and systems within:
- Federal correctional services of Canada
- Provincial correctional services
- Provincial forensic psychiatric services commission of British Columbia
UNIT 2: LEGAL AND ETHICAL ISSUES IN WORKING WITHIN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM
Identify and describe legalities in working with client groups across the criminal justice systems and ethical frameworks guiding nursing practice:
- Corrections of Canada
- Federal forensic system
- Provincial forensic system
- Criminal stream
- Civil stream
- Issues in providing evidence to the court
- Frameworks guiding ethical nursing practice
UNIT 3: THE ROLE OF THE NURSE WORKING WITHIN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM
Discuss the scope of correctional and forensic nursing practice across the criminal justice systems:
- Professional issues in relation to conduct, professional boundaries, and therapeutic alliances
- Professional practice issues in relation to standards of nursing practice, and competencies of the nurse working across the criminal justice systems, e.g., federal forensic nursing, provincial remand settings, and community forensic nursing
- Legal issues in relation to the Criminal Code of Canada, Canada Health Act, Mental Health Act, and Violation Orders
- Ethical issues in relation to the code of ethics for nurses working across the criminal justice system
UNIT 4: NURSING LEADERSHIP WITHIN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM
Discuss concepts and models that enhance nursing leadership within the context of the criminal justice system:
- Interdisciplinary membership roles and responsibilities
- Models of interpersonal communication
- Models of conflict resolution
- Models of case management, e.g., assertive case management
- Risk assessment and management tools
- Community resources and services, e.g., role of probation services, John Howard and Elizabeth Fry societies
- Neuman Systems Model applied to health assessment of client groups (individual, aggregates, family, and community)
UNIT 5: EXPLORE THE SCOPE OF NURSING PRACTICE ACROSS FEDERAL AND PROVINCIAL CONTEXTS OF CARE
Discuss health promotion and nursing interventions associated with adolescents and adults related to:
- Persons incarcerated in maximum, medium, minimum secure environments, and community forensic psychiatric services. Exemplars include: exercise, nutrition, infection control, STDs, substance use and dependence, sexual health, communication skills, stress and anger management.
UNIT 6: CLINICAL ISSUES IN WORKING WITH EPISODIC AND ONGOING HEALTH CHALLENGES ACROSS THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM
Application of the nursing process in promoting health among adolescents and adults related to:
- Management of communicable and infections diseases, e.g., Hepatitis A, B, C, HIV-positive, TB
- Management of substance dependence and withdrawal processes, e.g., hallucinogens, opioids, benzodiazepines, barbiturates, and stimulants
- Management of psychiatric conditions and cluster B - personality disorders, e.g., anti-social, borderline, and narcissistic
- Management of the individual in need of palliative care interventions, e.g., pain management and comfort measures
Upon successful completion of the course the learner will:
- Describe the scope of nursing practice in relation to correctional and forensic nursing across federal and provincial jurisdictions.
- Discuss legal and ethical issues and apply ethical frameworks in working with individuals in correctional and forensic environments.
- Discuss elements of the Criminal Code of Canada, Mental Health Act, and implications related to providing health care services to individuals living in secure environments.
- Discuss episodic and ongoing health issues and health promotion interventions in working with adolescents, women, and men in secure environments.
- Describe models of professional leadership, communication, case management, conflict resolution, crisis intervention, risk assessment and management in working as a member of the interdisciplinary health care team in correctional and forensic environments.
- Apply the Neuman Systems Model health assessment tools (holistic health assessment) in order to plan health promotion interventions for individuals and groups living in secure environments, and community forensic settings.
- Integrate key concepts and theories related to nursing practice for client groups who present with exemplars such as: substance use/dependency, infectious/communicable diseases, behaviors associated with anxiety, depression, suicidal, homicidal, elation, aggression, withdrawal from reality, and Cluster B - personality traits (anti-social, borderline, and narcissistic).
- Demonstrate awareness of the key role that nurses have in providing evidence to the court systems.
- Demonstrate knowledge of community resources and services available to individuals who are being transitioned back into community living situations.
The course evaluation is consistent with Douglas College evaluation policy. An evaluation schedule is presented at the beginning of the course.
This is a graded course.
Textbooks and Materials to be Purchased by Students:
A list of required and optional textbooks and materials is provided for students at the beginning of each semester.