Nurses have a unique opportunity to make a significant impact on the problem of domestic violence. Psychologists claim that the most important determinant of individual being able to discuss abuse or domestic violence is a non-judging, supportive attitude of the nurse (McCauley, York, Jenckes, & Ford, 1998). However, scientist have different opinions on the issue of nurse’s previous abusive experience influencing one`s practice with victims of domestic violence.
Almost 93 percent of nurses in United States are women and may have personal experience of abuse or domestic violence. There exists an opinion that it may be difficult for such nurses to support other individuals, suffering from domestic violence, since being uncomfortable to discuss this topic that causes painful memories. A nurse may appear to be not ready to deal with an abusive situation, projecting one`s own experience on the client (Royal College of Nursing, 1998).
However, there is another opinion. Results of a study conducted by Christofides and Silo (2005) claim that nurse`s personal experiences of domestic violence positively impact their ability to manage cases of domestic violence and rape. 212 nurses were interviewed in terms of this study. The measurements of care quality in cases of rape and domestic violence have shown that nurses who previously experienced domestic violence and abuse among family and friends or in their own lives pay more attention and put more effort in helping patients. 39 percent of all nurse participants had previously experienced emotional or physical abuse themselves and 40 percent witnessed domestic violence among family and friends. Nurses who had personal abuse experience or experience from family and friends were more likely to provide better care to clients who suffered from domestic violence, while nurses who had no personal experience either in their family and friends or in personal lives had lower index of care quality. Results of this study suggest that the more nurses understand what the domestic violence is; the more likely they are to provide better care to patients. (Christofides & Silo, 2005) However, each nurse who previously experienced abuse should decide individually, using one`s own judgment whether one is ready to support patients in the same situation.
References
Christofides, N.J. & Silo, Z. (2005). How nurses' experiences of domestic violence influence service provision: study conducted in North-West province, South Africa. Nurs Health Sci; 7(1).
McCauley, J., Yurk, R., Jenckes, M., Ford,D. (1998). Inside “Pandora's Box”: Abused Women's Experiences with Clinicians and Health Services.
Royal College of Nursing. (1998). Dealing with violence against nursing staff: a guide for nurses and managers. …