Guidelineson Screening for Domestic Violence
Guidelineson Screening for Domestic Violence
TheCDC conducted research on domestic violence and reported that it cantake the form of physical, sexual, or even psychological torture orthreats of the same to another member of the household (Black, etal., 2011). Domestic violence is so prevalent in the current world,and women form the group that suffers most. From the availablestatistics, it is estimated that one out of four women hasexperienced domestic violence from their spouses (Black, 2011).
Nursesare expected to have professional skills in screening the victims ofdomestic violence. First, the nurse should identify the form and thenature of the violence that was committed against the victim. Thenurse should then assure the victim of his or her support, andencourage the him/her to reveal all the information that otherwisewould be embarrassing to talk about. Thirdly, the nurse should assessthe risks that may affect the patient at present or in the future.The assessed risks may include physical injuries or emotional andpsychological torment the victims may experience after leaving thehospital. After the nurse has assessed the victim, he or she shouldthen make a decision whether to admit the victim or release him/her.Documentation of the findings is then done by the nurse (West CoastDistrict Health Board, 2016).
Theprocedures as outlined by the West Coast District Board are excellentsince the problems are solved with a central focus on determining thecauses and the condition of the patient as well as what might occurin the future. However, the policy does not outline the extent towhich it should be handled and in what manner. For instance, thereare cases outside the hospital setting that are not included in thepolicy. As a nurse, it is therefore, better to make decisions basedon the condition of the patient. If the patient requires an immediatemedical attention, the nurse can break the protocol and attend firstto the needs of the patient (Yeung et al., 2012).
References
Black, M. C. (2011). Intimate partner violence and adverse health consequences: Implications for clinicians. American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine, 428–439.
Black, M. C., Kathleen C. Basile, C. B., Matthew, J. B., Melissa, T. M., Mikel, L. W., Jieru , C., & Mark , R. S. (2011). National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey, Summary Report. Atlanta, Georgia: National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved June 5, 2016, from http://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/pdf/nisvs_report2010-a.pdf
West Coast District Health Board. (2016). Domestic Violence Management & Screening Procedure. Retrieved June 5, 2016, from West Coast District Health Board: http://www.westcoastdhb.org.nz/publications/policies_n_procedures/policies_n_procedures_docs/family_violence/DomesticViolenceManangementAndScreeningProcedure.pdf
Yeung, H., Chowdhury, N., Malpass, A., & Feder, G. (2012). Responding to domestic violence in general practice: A qualitative study on perceptions and experiences. International Journal of Family Medicine, 2012, 7 pgs.