Effect of a forensic nursing virtual education course on knowledge and clinical decision-making of master?s nursing students in Iran: a non-equivalent control group pre- and post-test study

Purpose: Forensic nursing is a specialty in the nursing profession based on legal procedures. This study aimed to assess the effect of a forensic nursing virtual education course on knowledge and clinical decision-making among master's nursing students.Methods: In a quasi-experimental study with a pre-and post-test, 106 master's nursing students at Guilan (n=65) and Mazandaran (n=41) Universities of Medical Sciences, Iran were enrolled. Data were collected using census sampling from March to April 2021. Par-ticipants in the intervention group received a forensic nursing virtual education course in three 90-minute sessions for 2 days.Results: A total of 88 out of 106 master's nursing students were enrolled in this study. The mean post-education score for knowledge in the intervention group was significantly higher than in the control group (12.52 vs. 7.67, P<0.001). The mean post-education score for clinical decision-making in the intervention group was significantly higher than in the control group (16.96 vs. 13.64, P<0.001).Conclusion: The level of knowledge and clinical decision-making of master's nursing students regarding forensic evidence improved af-ter the forensic nursing virtual education course in the intervention group compared to the control group. Nursing managers and policy -makers can develop appropriate strategies to improve the knowledge and clinical decision-making of nursing students by using forensic nursing education courses in the curricula of nursing programs, especially in postgraduate education as an elective or mandatory course.