Nursing curricula and violence issues

This article presents the findings of a survey of Canadian schools of nursing (N = 155) that determined the extent to which violence-related content is addressed in nursing curricula. The study yielded a response rate of 88%. Theoretical content regarding violence against children and women of all ages, and suicide as a response to abuse formed part of the curriculum of all schools of nursing, if only in readings. Child abuse and suicide received the greatest number of hours of instruction, followed by woman abuse, sexual assault, and elder abuse. University schools of nursing provided the greatest number of hours of instruction when compared with other types of schools. Schools in Western and Atlantic Canada provided the greatest number of hours of instruction on woman abuse when compared with other regions of the country. The majority of university schools provided experiential instruction in the area of violence, with the other types of schools providing very little such instruction. Findings revealed a sensitivity to the importance of including content on violence in nursing curricula; however, the approach to this content is largely incidental and heavily dependent on individual faculty interests. Implications of this study point to the need for the systematic inclusion of violence-related content and the sharing of resources among schools of nursing.