Forensic nursing practice - What do the students know anyway?

BACKGROUND: Forensic Nursing emerges as a new nursing practice, combining scientific and technical nursing knowledge with Forensic Science principles. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the level of knowledge about the Forensic Nursing Practices in the 4th year students of the Nursing Degree. METHODOLOGY: A cross sectional analysis study conducted with a sample of 240 students. The Knowledge Questionnaire over Forensics Nursing Practices (KQFNP) was applied in a survey. RESULTS: The level of knowledge of the students of the 4th year of the Degree in Nursing was good (52.1%), sufficient (21.3%) and insufficient (26.7%), according with scale scored defined, with the existence of deficits essentially at the level of crucial aspects of the preservation of vestiges. CONCLUSION: The evidence emphasizes the need of investment in the training of the students over forensic nursing practices. So, basic knowledge of forensic nursing is a critical concept to be included in core curriculum of a four-year nursing degree program.