Educational components related to the forensic nursing process: a scoping review

Abstract Background Through forensic nursing, nurses play a critical role in caring for victims of violence. However, nursing curricula frequently lack dedicated forensic nursing content. This scoping review aimed to map and synthesize the available evidence on the educational components, curriculum content, and training approaches related to the forensic nursing process. This review followed the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology and was reported using the PRISMA-ScR checklist. MEDLINE (via Ovid), CINAHL, and Web of Science were searched with no restrictions on publication date or language. Empirical studies addressing forensic nursing education were included. Methodological quality was assessed using JBI critical appraisal checklists. Data were synthesized through narrative descriptive analysis with thematic content analysis. Main body Forty-eight studies from 17 countries (2002–2025) were included, comprising cross-sectional ( n = 23), quasi-experimental ( n = 18), mixed methods ( n = 3), randomized controlled trials ( n = 2), and qualitative studies ( n = 2). Nine thematic areas were identified: forensic nursing knowledge and awareness; forensic evidence collection and preservation; trauma-informed care; legal documentation and ethical considerations; recognition and assessment of abuse and violence across the lifespan; sexual assault forensic nursing education; victim advocacy and support; multidisciplinary collaboration and clinical supervision; and mental health care in forensic contexts. Persistent knowledge deficits were documented across all geographical contexts. Simulation-based education was the most frequently evaluated pedagogical approach and showed promising results, although the supporting evidence derived largely from pre-post and quasi-experimental designs. Conclusion The nine thematic areas identified provide a comprehensive framework for integrating forensic nursing content into nursing curricula, with trauma-informed care as an overarching pedagogical philosophy and simulation-based learning as the most frequently evaluated and promising teaching method, while nonetheless recognizing that the current evidence stems predominantly from pre-post and quasi-experimental studies. These findings underscore nurses’ dual obligation to patient care and evidentiary/legal integrity, a defining feature that distinguishes forensic nursing practice from general nursing care.