Survivors of intimate partner violence: implications for nursing care

As IPV increases in our society, hospitals need to prepare to best meet the needs of these individuals. Hospitals should have policies that encourage critical care nurses to consider abuse with the patients they serve. These policies need to ensure private, confidential interviewing of all patients and standardize the follow-up for any identified cases. There needs to be routine prompts in an assessment and history that clarify whether the person is in a violent situation. Nurses should understand more specifically the context of IPV and know the community resources available to survivors of this violence. Last, nurses need to recognize the physical, psychological, and emotional support they can give to these individuals. The acronym RADAR, developed by the Massachusetts Medical Society, succinctly represents the thought processes that need to occur with all domestic violence cases: R: Perform routine screening. A: Ask direct questions. D: Document findings. A: Assess patient (and children) safety. R: Review patient options and provide referrals. The ultimate aim for hospitals is to empower nurses to provide compassionate care for survivors and establish emotional climates conducive to IPV disclosure and subsequent care.