Bakgrund: Internationell forskning påvisar att sjuksköterskans genuina omvårdnadsarbete försvåras inom den rättspsykiatriska vården. Kärnan i denna problematik är den tvetydighet som uppstår då sjuksköterskan förväntas bedriva en etiskt grundad omvårdnad gentemot patienter som vårdas mot sin vilja. Forskning, särskilt ur ett kunskapsteoretiskt perspektiv, saknas gällande sjuksköterskors möjlighet att använda sin professionsspecifika kunskap inom den rättspsykiatriska slutenvården. Syfte: Studiens syfte var att beskriva sjuksköterskans möjlighet att tillämpa sin professionella kunskap inom den rättspsykiatriska slutenvården. Metod: Empirisk studie med kvalitativ ansats baserad på tematiskt utarbetade, interaktiva intervjuer med sex sjuksköterskor verksamma vid en rättspsykiatrisk klinik i en svensk storstad. Deduktiv innehållsanalys utifrån Carpers (1975) teori om sjuksköterskors kunskap och dess begrepp. Resultat: Ur analysen utkristalliserades åtta kategorier vilka beskriver sjuksköterskans möjlighet att tillämpa sin professionella kunskap inom den rättspsykiatriska slutenvården: (1) brist på incitament, (2) en ny kunskapsgeneration, (3) tvång utan kränkning, (4) högt och lågt i tak, (5) nödvändig distans, (6) försvårad identifikation, (7) flexibilitet gentemot regler och (8) vårda i motvind. Slutsats: Studiens resultat visar att sjuksköterskans möjlighet att tillämpa sin professionella kunskap inom den rättspsykiatriska slutenvården begränsas av en rad faktorer, både inom och utanför det egna inflytandet. Begränsningar som identifierades var en omvårdnadsfientlig miljö, gamla traditioner, bristande forskningsincitament och en patientgrupp med mångfacetterad problematik. Trots dessa utmaningar lyckas sjuksköterskorna hävda sin profession och därmed bedriva en omvårdnad som de ser som acceptabel, om än med stor förbättringspotential. Klinisk betydelse: Förhoppningen med studien är att inom den rättspsykiatriska slutenvården skapa en medvetenhet om sjuksköterskors unika kunskap så att omvårdnadsvetenskapen får större utrymme i klinisk praxis. / Background: International research indicates that it is difficult for nurses to provide genuine nursing care within the forensic inpatient psychiatry. The dual role taken on by nurses when expected to ethically care for patients subject to involuntary treatment is at the core of this issue. Research, especially from an epistemological point of view, is lacking regarding nurses’ possibility to apply their specific professional knowledge within the forensic inpatient psychiatry. Aim: The aim of this study was to describe nurses' possibility to apply their professional knowledge within the forensic inpatient psychiatry. Method: Empirical study with qualitative approach based on thematic interactive interviews with six nurses employed at a forensic inpatient clinic in one of Sweden's bigger cities. Deductive content analysis based on Carper's (1975) theory of nursing knowledge and its concepts. Results: From the analysis emerged eight categories which describe nurses' possibility to apply their specific professional knowledge in a forensic inpatient psychiatry setting: (1) lack of incentives, (2) a new generation of knowledge, (3) coercion without affront, (4) tolerance in a rigid environment, (5) necessary distance, (6) challenging identification, (7) flexibility towards rules and (8) nursing against a headwind. Conclusion: The findings show that nurses' possibility to apply their professional knowledge within the forensic inpatient psychiatry is limited by factors both in and beyond their power. The identified limitations were a custodial environment, old traditions, a lack of research incentives and a clientele with multifaceted issues. In spite of these challenges, nurses were able to assert their profession and provide nursing care in a way they saw as acceptable, though not without potential for improvement. Implications for practice: Hopefully, this study can raise awareness of nurses’ unique knowledge within the forensic inpatient psychiatry in order to promote nursing science in clinical practice.

The aim of this study was to investigate social workers view of a professional- and unprofessional attitude relative to the organization, other professionals and clients. The study was conducted with qualitative semi-structured interviews with social workers in human service organizations. The theoretical approach is a social constructionist approach using professional theory, role theory and tacit knowledge to analyze our data. We conducted the study due to our view that the research on professional approach lacked a first-hand perspective on social workers view on their professional approach. The conclusion of this study is that social workers tacit knowledge is a big part of their professional approach, which despite regulations ordinated by the society and by organizations are shaped by interpretations and assessments based on the individual, tacit knowledge.