Procedures of protection of evidences by the emergency department nurses

Emergency is the department where most of the judicial facts are observed. Because nurses working in this department are the first whitnesses of these judicial facts and are the ones who collect the first laboratory samples, they have to pay too much attention and have to be very cautious when facing these cases and possible evidences. This study was done in order to clarify the procedures of protection of evidences by the emergency department nurses when they face judicial facts. This study, after interviewing the nurses working in the emergency department of three hospitals belonging to State Hospitals Establishments of Fatih region and as well Istanbul University Medicine Faculty Hospitals, was completed between 01/02/2013-01/06/2013 in Istanbul. It was statistically verified (p<0,01) that there is a big difference between the level of education and the protection of wound dressing materials during the first aid interventions, washing of the wound caused by fire arm injuries, cleaning of the secretion of blood or any excretion observed on the body after the sexual assault and finally observation of the location, size and colour of the ecchymosis if any. It was very clearly observed that there is also a big difference (p<0,001) due to the education level between the knowledge of judicial facts and approach of the judicial facts before starting working in the emergency department. Statistically it was also clearly observed that there is a big difference (p<0,05) between the knowledge of judicial responsibilities during the procedures of collecting the evidences and their protection as well the non hesitating to whitness in the court and the approach to the judicial facts before starting working in the emergency department. As a result, it is understood that, for the protection of evidence it is very important to get a training about forensic nursing before starting to work in emergency department. Key words: Emergency nursing, forensic nursing, the protection of evidence, criminal case