Nursing Assessment for Violence (ANSWERED)

QUESTION

Purpose

The purpose of this reflection is for learners to reflect on the nurse’s role in health assessment in various care settings.

Course Outcomes

This reflection enables the student to meet the following course outcome:

CO 3: Describe physical, psychosocial, cultural, and spiritual influences on an individual’s health status. (PO 1)

Due Date

During the assigned week (Sunday the start of the assigned week through Sunday the end of the assigned week):
- Posts in the discussion at least two times, and
- Posts in the discussion on two different days

Directions

Reflection is an activity that involves your deep thought into your own experiences related to the concepts of the week. Answers should be detailed. In reflections students:
- Demonstrate understanding of concepts for the week
- Engage in meaningful dialogue with classmates and/or instructor
- Express opinions clearly and logically, in a professional manner
Use the rubric on this page as you compose your answers.
Scholarly sources are NOT required for this reflection
Best Practices include:
- Participation early in the week is encouraged to stimulate meaningful discussion among classmates and instructor.
- Enter the reflection often during the week to read and learn from posts.
- Select different classmates for your reply each week.

Reflection Questions

Reflect on your current or prior practice experiences.

Paragraph One
- Patients of any age, gender, cultural background or socio-economic status can be victims of violence. Consider a patient population you are currently working with or have worked with in the past. For what type of violence might they be at risk? What are some related findings that might alert you to investigate further?
Paragraph Two
- Screening for signs of violence and abuse is a part of patient health history assessments. Have you observed the questions being asked by nurses or have you asked them to patients? Do you believe these screenings are typically completed in detail? Explain your answer.

ANSWER

Reflection on Nursing Assessment for Violence

I have previously worked with women of all ages to provide primary care and pain assessments. This population is most vulnerable to violence perpetrated against them in the form of sexual, psychological, emotional, and financial abuse. In healthcare studies, women are known to suffer domestic, family, and sexual assault types of violence (Johnson, 2017). Some women may appear withdrawn, have physical evidence of violence, and want to stay out of healthcare settings, which calls for an investigation of how the women can receive help. 1 in 3 women has experienced a form of physical violence like slapping, shoving, or pushing. However, the numbers on sexual violence prove there is a need for attention to violence against women. At the same time, the resultant findings on how violence affects their overall health need investigation through screening to identify victims unwilling to report. This means that the contributing factors, healthcare efforts, and government factors have to be considered as to how the patient population can be helped and reduce overall violence perpetrated against them.

When doing patient health history assessments, screening for violence and abuse signs is imperative. I had observed the administration of screening questions before when I had to refer patients with symptoms of abuse and violence. Due to the unwillingness of some of the patients to respond to the screening questions partly because of the fear of their abusers, the questions are not completed in detail. Still, the nurses do not go into many details when the victims do not report voluntarily. I would expect the nurses to take time, build a rapport with the patients, and be specific in their questions. For instance, they should ask if the patients were forced, hurt, or hurt for clarification. Training is crucial in screening for violence and abuse, which can help in this case to guide the patients into willingly giving information (Washington Coalition of Sexual Assault Programs). For instance, the nurse may insist on the victim being raped, which most victims do not consider forced sexual activity or intimate experience a rape. Otherwise, screening for violence and violence should get specific and significant attention in healthcare organizations to improve the quality of care in populations susceptible to violence and abuse.

References

Johnson, M. P. (2017). Patriarchal Terrorism And Common Couple Violence: Two Forms Of Violence Against Women. In Domestic Violence (pp. 3-14). Routledge.

N.A. (N.D.). Screening Questions: Intimate Partner Sexual Violence. Washington Coalition of Sexual Assault Programs. https://www.wcsap.org/advocacy/focus-areas/ipsv/screening-questions