- Email: [email protected]
Are You Diagnosing Domestic Violence?
N U R S E S
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Are You Diagnosing Domestic Violence?
I
n August, Lifelines asked nurses if they are diagnosing domestic violence in their care setting. Here's what the 56 nurses who responded to the survey had to say:
l
As a health care professional, do you consider yourself competent in assessing domestic violence in the patients for whom you provide care?
76% - YES 24% - NO
2
In what ways are you prepared to diagnose and provide care for victims of abuse in your care setting: (check as many as apply)
58% - We have policies and procedures for diagnosing and treating abuse in our care setting. l6V0- We don't have the opportunity or seek the opportunity to treat abuse, unless it is brought up by the patient 62% - We ask every woman about whether she has been, or is being, abused 7S0/o - We actively look for signs of abuse, both in the patient's on-going medical record, expressed symptoms and reasons for seeking treatment, and actual physical signs, such as scars, lacerations and bruises
66% - We provide literature on abuse and hot line telephone numbers in a variety of ways in our care setting, such as posters, pamphlets, small cards 4lo/o- We take photographs and keep detailed medical records for patients who may need to use such for legal prosecution 46% - W e actively work with local shelters and authorities in helping abused women findhelp and support channels 70% - We interview/examine women in privacy apart from suspected abusers
33% - We report suspected abusers to local authorities 30% - Other: (please exp1ain:)'We coordinate our efforts with other health care facilities in our community." -CNE; Hospital; Lansing, MI
October 1997
1
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3
Do you report affirmed abuse to local authorities?
59% - YES 41% - NO "I have seen that a lot of nurses don't want to get involved. But I will call the police and report it if a woman comes in for treatment after being abused." -RNC; LDRP; San Antonio, TX "There is an element of fear among the nurses because some of our abusive fathers can be very scary, and w e have t o continue to see them day after day." -CNS; NICU; Tallahassee, FL "Our physicians and hospital administrators discourage it." -RNC; LDRP; Columbia, MD
4
Do you have different policies or procedures when abuse is diagnosed in minor or teens?
54% - NO 46% - YES "Because some patients wouldn't know how to bring this up, we include this as part of the questions we ask as part of our plan of care." -Nurse Manager; OB/GYN Office; Reading, PA "It's imperative that w e protect confidentiality." Perinatal Nurse Specialist; -HMO; Raleigh, NC
5
How can nurses be proactive about diagnosing and helping victims of domestic violence?
"We work closely with local shelters and law enforcement officials." --WHNP; Health Department; Emporia, KS "Nurses need to be willing to ask about abuse." -Staff Norse; Hospital; Seattle, WA 'We need to see domestic violence as a diagnosis, not just another problem to burden our already overflowing patient assignment." -RN; Mt. Shasta, CA
Lifelines
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N U R S E S
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Are You Writing Prescriptions? o far, more than 40 states have given nurses prescriptive authority. Lifelines wants to know if you're involved in writing prescriptions or advising about medications. Last year, consumers spent more than $78 billion to fill 2.5 billion separate prescriptions-and in nearly 75 percent of
S
those women were either purchasing those prescriptions for their own use or for a family member. Watch for the results of this survey in our December issue.
1. Are you current/y writing prescriptions for patients in your job setting? .--No -Yes
If yes, what types of drugs are you most often called about:
If yes, for (check all that apply): -pain relief -cold or flu relief __ antibiotics -anti-inflammatories -asthma/allergy relief -dermatology uses (such as acne or skin refining) -oral contraceptives emergency contraception -alternative contraceptives -vaginal infection medications, cremes, or suppositories -hormone replacement therapies or ERT other (please identify)
4. Do you ta/k with your patients about their prescription usages and possible drug interactions? -No -Yes 5. Shoufd nurses have greater prescriptive authority? __No -Yes
6. What can nurses do to advance their own practices with prescriptive authurity? ~~~~
~
~
......................................................... 2 h
're ny
On a daily basis: Weekly basis: Over the course of a year:
May w e have a little information about you? Your title Credentials City
State
Care setting
3. Are you currently being called on by number (not for publication) ~ a r ~ ~ c e u fcj c a~~ ~ ~ i t~~h ~~ ~ en r i~ Namehelephone n ~ c ~~ to p a ~ i c u ~ drugs? ar
no __ Yes
24
Lifelines
October 7997
........ ..................... ....................
I
Are You Diagnosing Domestic Violence?
I
n August, Lifelines asked nurses if they are diagnosing domestic violence in their care setting. Here's what the 56 nurses who responded to the survey had to say:
l
As a health care professional, do you consider yourself competent in assessing domestic violence in the patients for whom you provide care?
76% - YES 24% - NO
2
In what ways are you prepared to diagnose and provide care for victims of abuse in your care setting: (check as many as apply)
58% - We have policies and procedures for diagnosing and treating abuse in our care setting. l6V0- We don't have the opportunity or seek the opportunity to treat abuse, unless it is brought up by the patient 62% - We ask every woman about whether she has been, or is being, abused 7S0/o - We actively look for signs of abuse, both in the patient's on-going medical record, expressed symptoms and reasons for seeking treatment, and actual physical signs, such as scars, lacerations and bruises
66% - We provide literature on abuse and hot line telephone numbers in a variety of ways in our care setting, such as posters, pamphlets, small cards 4lo/o- We take photographs and keep detailed medical records for patients who may need to use such for legal prosecution 46% - W e actively work with local shelters and authorities in helping abused women findhelp and support channels 70% - We interview/examine women in privacy apart from suspected abusers
33% - We report suspected abusers to local authorities 30% - Other: (please exp1ain:)'We coordinate our efforts with other health care facilities in our community." -CNE; Hospital; Lansing, MI
October 1997
1
I
3
Do you report affirmed abuse to local authorities?
59% - YES 41% - NO "I have seen that a lot of nurses don't want to get involved. But I will call the police and report it if a woman comes in for treatment after being abused." -RNC; LDRP; San Antonio, TX "There is an element of fear among the nurses because some of our abusive fathers can be very scary, and w e have t o continue to see them day after day." -CNS; NICU; Tallahassee, FL "Our physicians and hospital administrators discourage it." -RNC; LDRP; Columbia, MD
4
Do you have different policies or procedures when abuse is diagnosed in minor or teens?
54% - NO 46% - YES "Because some patients wouldn't know how to bring this up, we include this as part of the questions we ask as part of our plan of care." -Nurse Manager; OB/GYN Office; Reading, PA "It's imperative that w e protect confidentiality." Perinatal Nurse Specialist; -HMO; Raleigh, NC
5
How can nurses be proactive about diagnosing and helping victims of domestic violence?
"We work closely with local shelters and law enforcement officials." --WHNP; Health Department; Emporia, KS "Nurses need to be willing to ask about abuse." -Staff Norse; Hospital; Seattle, WA 'We need to see domestic violence as a diagnosis, not just another problem to burden our already overflowing patient assignment." -RN; Mt. Shasta, CA
Lifelines
23
...... ..................... .................... .**
N U R S E S
..*a
*..*
Are You Writing Prescriptions? o far, more than 40 states have given nurses prescriptive authority. Lifelines wants to know if you're involved in writing prescriptions or advising about medications. Last year, consumers spent more than $78 billion to fill 2.5 billion separate prescriptions-and in nearly 75 percent of
S
those women were either purchasing those prescriptions for their own use or for a family member. Watch for the results of this survey in our December issue.
1. Are you current/y writing prescriptions for patients in your job setting? .--No -Yes
If yes, what types of drugs are you most often called about:
If yes, for (check all that apply): -pain relief -cold or flu relief __ antibiotics -anti-inflammatories -asthma/allergy relief -dermatology uses (such as acne or skin refining) -oral contraceptives emergency contraception -alternative contraceptives -vaginal infection medications, cremes, or suppositories -hormone replacement therapies or ERT other (please identify)
4. Do you ta/k with your patients about their prescription usages and possible drug interactions? -No -Yes 5. Shoufd nurses have greater prescriptive authority? __No -Yes
6. What can nurses do to advance their own practices with prescriptive authurity? ~~~~
~
~
......................................................... 2 h
're ny
On a daily basis: Weekly basis: Over the course of a year:
May w e have a little information about you? Your title Credentials City
State
Care setting
3. Are you currently being called on by number (not for publication) ~ a r ~ ~ c e u fcj c a~~ ~ ~ i t~~h ~~ ~ en r i~ Namehelephone n ~ c ~~ to p a ~ i c u ~ drugs? ar
no __ Yes
24
Lifelines
October 7997