UC Irvine

Caring for people accused and convicted of crimes is a required duty for many nurses working in acute care settings. For the registered nurses engaged in the provision of this care, strict adherence to professional ethics and expectations of usual care may be challenged by the presence of or interaction with custodial officers. The purpose of this study was to give voice to the lived experiences of nurses and law enforcement officers who interact with one another in the hospital setting, while gaining understanding of their individual perspectives and unique experiences, and how they interpret these experiences. The aim of the study was to understand the lived experience of nurses and law enforcement officers when interacting with one another in the hospital; particularly the ways they perceive their role and responsibilities in this dynamic, their experiences with self-efficacy and moral injury, their perceptions of power, and ways in which nursing standards of care are affected. Data were collected via semi structured interviews. Interviews were completed by 10 registered nurses and 9 law enforcement officers. The results of the study demonstrate complex perceptions and operationalizations of power and control, as well as reflective meaning-making behind the underpinnings of an increasingly contentious dynamic.