Identification of domestic violence in the emergency department

Domestic violence is a commonly occurring problem in society that is likely to be encountered, whether recognized or not, by every nurse in practice today. Domestic violence knows no barriers and is present in all ethnic, racial, religious, educational, and socioeconomic levels. Millions of Americans suffer emotional and physical scars from nonfatal violence, and approximately 25,000 individuals die, annually, as a result of intentional homicide (Ellis, 1999). Failure to identify victims of abuse can result in a continuation of the abuse, frequent returns to the health care setting with vague medical complaints, severe injury, rape, and/or death. With the high prevalence of domestic violence in our society, it is imperative that research nurses focus not only on the treatment of the victims but also on issues that assist nurses in the identification of abuse. This study used a quasi-experimental approach and determined that a stimulus (button) worn by nursing staff in the emergency department did not increase the number of reported domestic violence incidences. However, the research did demonstrate the importance of the nursing assessment. When the nursing staff directly asked questions about domestic violence during their initial assessment, more victims of abuse were identified.