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.
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