title: Toward the establishment of a forensic nursing specialty in Brazil: an integrative literature review.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Over the past two decades, Brazil has made progress in bringing political and community attention to issues related to violence. The recognition of links between violence and health has intensified calls to accelerate the development of a forensic nursing specialty in Brazil.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to systematically examine and synthesize the literature on the development of the forensic nursing specialty around the globe and to extract important lessons for the establishment of a forensic nursing specialty in Brazil.
  
  
  METHODS
  An integrative review was conducted according to the method described by Whittmore and Knafl (2005). Electronic searches of the following databases were conducted between December 2012 and March 2013: CINAHL Plus with Full Text, Criminal Justice, Index to Legal periodicals, MEDLINE, Soc Index with Full Text, Social Work Abstracts, SCOPUS, and PsycINFO. The search terms used were: [(TI nurs* or SU nurs*) and [TI (forensic* or penal or prison*) or SU (forensic* or penal or prison*)] and (sexual assault nurse examiner*). Preestablished inclusion/exclusion criteria were used to select published articles for review.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twenty-three articles met inclusion criteria and were included in the full review. Important lessons for Brazil are discussed in terms of education and curricular issues and forensic psychiatric nursing.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In Brazil, there is a window of opportunity to contribute the theoretical foundations of forensic nursing science and to advance nursing specialty practice in the areas of Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners and forensic psychiatric nurses.
authors.affiliation: Author Affiliations: 1Department of Psychiatric Nursing and Human Sciences, Ribeirão Preto College of Nursing, University of Sao Paulo; 2Faculty of Nursing, University of Alberta; and 3College of Nursing, University of Saskatchewan.
authors.forename: Rafael Braga
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Esteves
authors.forename: Gerri C
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Lasiuk
authors.forename: Lucilene
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cardoso
authors.forename: Arlene
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kent-Wilkinson
mesh_terms: D001938:Brazil; D003479:Curriculum; D053604:Forensic Nursing / Q000193:education* / Q000458:organization & administration*; D005555:Forensic Psychiatry; D006801:Humans; D024802:Nurse's Role; D012742:Sex Offenses