A qualitative content analysis of nurses' perceptions about readiness to manage intimate partner violence

To explore the perceptions of nurses on the factors that influence their readiness to manage intimate partner violence (IPV) in Spain.

Qualitative content analysis based on data from six different regions in Spain (Murcia, Region of Valencia, Castile and Leon, Cantabria, Catalonia, Aragon) collected between 2014 and 2016.

37 personal interviews were carried out with nurses from 27 primary health care (PHC) centres and 10 hospitals. We followed the consolidated criteria for reporting qualitative research guidelines. Qualitative content analysis was supported by Atlas.ti and OpenCode.

The results are organised into four categories corresponding to (1) acknowledging IPV as a health issue. An ongoing process; (2) the Spanish healthcare system and PHC service: a favourable space to address IPV although with some limitations; (3) nurses as a key figure for IPV in coordinated care and (4) factors involved in nurses' autonomy in their response to IPV, with their respective subcategories.

In practice, nurses perceive responding to IPV as a personal choice, despite the institutional mandate to address IPV as a health issue. There is a need to increase continuous training and ensure IPV is included in the curriculum in university nursing undergraduate degrees, by disseminating the existing IPV protocols. Furthermore, coordination between healthcare professionals needs to be improved in terms of all levels of care and with other institutions.