Forensic challenges are faced by every nurse, and the bulk of these challenges are presented by living patients. 2. Because the nurse frequently is the first health care worker encountering living patients, successful arrest and prosecution of perpetrators of crime and violence may depend on the nurse's recognition of the problem and documentation. 3. Ignorance of problem detection and ignorance of what data and evidence to collect have resulted in the inability to prosecute, and perpetrators of abuse and violence are permitted to continue--and even escalate--their acts.
