Nurses' attitudes toward survivors and perpetrators of domestic violence.

Domestic violence is of special concern to nurses, as they are often the first health care professionals to interact with battered women. The purpose of this study was to explore and describe nurses' attitudes toward the survivors and perpetrators of domestic violence. A holistic ecological health promotion framework guided this qualitative investigation. Thirteen participants expert in the care of abused women were interviewed using semistructured questions to describe nurses' attitudes toward survivors and perpetrators. Significant statements were identified, clustered, and placed into categories of response. Findings included identification of general themes and specific categories related to attitudes nurses have about battered women and those who abuse and injure them. The significance of this research underscores the importance of nurses' attitudes as influencing factors in their interactions with women and families involved in domestic violence. Application of a health promotion framework encourages a holistic perspective of care for this vulnerable population.

Domestic violence and the nursing curriculum: tuning in and tuning up.

Domestic violence is a major health, social, and criminal justice problem in the United States. Although not confined to women, it is a growing concern of women and those who care for women. Nurses are often the first health care provider with whom the battered woman and her family interact. Reports of several studies indicate educational preparation of nurses is inadequate to assure sensitive, quality, and effective nursing care to those who have survived domestic violence. One purpose of this qualitative study was to identify and describe the essential knowledge and skills needed by nurses to provide competent, sensitive care. Interviews were conducted with 13 informants who were considered experts in violence-related care. Their responses were analyzed for categories of response and themes related to their feelings about domestic violence and the essential knowledge and skills nurses need to provide appropriate care. Findings provide data that can form the empirical bases for review of current curriculum content and strategies, indicate needed revisions, and serve as a framework for future curriculum development.

Violence and the nursing curriculum: nurse educators speak out.

Violent crime in the United States is increasing at an alarming rate. Nurses are the first to encounter its victims--but are they prepared for them? Two activities at the 1995 NLN convention gathered the opinions, concerns, and recommendations of nurse educators about how education can help better equip nurses to perform the role of violence preventer and care provider.

Violence-related content in the nursing curriculum: a national study.

Educational preparation of nurses is key to their effective participation in prevention, assessment, treatment and care of victims and survivors of violence. This exploratory study examined the extent, placement, and faculty responsible for curricular content on abuse and violence against women, children, and elders. The national study, grounded within an ecological framework, used a 35-item mailed questionnaire that included demographic, course content and curriculum development items. Completed questionnaires were returned from 298 (48%) of programs surveyed. Findings showed that most programs included content related to women, child and elder abuse; each content area was presented in two hours or less; and clinical practice opportunities were primarily coincidental. Fifty-three percent of respondents believed content was adequately addressed; 68% recommended curriculum development workshops to address curricular issues related to violence. The significance of the study is related to the relevancy of current nursing education to social problems of increasing violence and abuse.

Nursing diagnoses and functional health patterns in patients receiving external radiation therapy: cancer of the digestive organs.

A descriptive study using clinical methodology was conducted to identify and describe core and site-specific symptoms reported by 15 patients with cancer of the digestive organs who received external radiation therapy. A 47-item Radiation Symptom Scale was designed by the investigators for this study. Symptoms identified by patients with a mean occurrence of at least "sometimes" were considered potential defining characteristics and were submitted to a panel of experts for identification of nursing diagnoses. Seventeen nursing diagnoses, with their associated defining characteristics, were identified and classified within eight Functional Health Patterns (FHP). Half of the nursing diagnoses were formulated within the Nutritional-Metabolic and Elimination patterns. Four of the FHPs were related to primarily functional patterns; four were primarily psychological-behavioral. Results of the study describe the nursing needs of patients who receive radiotherapy to the digestive organs.

Nursing diagnoses and functional health patterns in patients receiving external radiation therapy: cancer of the head and neck.

A descriptive study using clinical methods was conducted to identify and describe core and site-specific symptoms reported by 15 patients with cancer of the head or neck who received external radiation therapy. A 45-item Radiation Symptom Scale (RSS) was designed by the investigators for this study. Symptoms identified by patients with a mean occurrence of at least "sometimes" were considered potential defining characteristics and were submitted to a panel of experts for identification of nursing diagnoses. Eighteen nursing diagnoses with their associated defining characteristics were identified and classified within eight Functional Health Patterns. Half of the nursing diagnoses were formulated within the Nutritional-Metabolic and Activity-Exercise health patterns. Four of the health patterns were primarily physiologic; four were primarily psychologic-behavioral. Results of the study describe the nursing needs of patients who receive radiotherapy to the head and neck and are formulated within a nursing diagnosis/Functional Health Pattern framework. These findings have implications for nursing assessment, nursing interventions, and evaluation of patient outcomes, and findings provide a beginning empiric basis for identifying nursing diagnoses and their associated defining characteristics for cancer patients who receive external radiation therapy.