Why forensic mental health nursing is such a rewarding career

A challenging role where compassion and advocacy go hand in hand with public protection

I have worked in forensic mental health for almost 20 years, working my way up from staff nurse to service manager of the Edenfield Centre, a 161-bed Medium Secure Forensic Mental Health Unit in Manchester.

Forensic mental health is a fascinating, unique and challenging field, but as a nursing student it wasn’t an area I really considered as my career.

After qualifying as a mental health nurse in 1995, I worked in acute services, psychiatric intensive care and in prisons. But my interest in the relationship between mental health and the complexities of offending made forensic services seem like a natural pathway.