Domestic violence is a purposeful, emotional, or forceful coercion/action of one person over another person, carried out for a specific purpose, contrary to the victim’s consent, will, and interests. The main difference between domestic violence and other types of violence is between people in close or related relationships. The case study describes a situation where Jill, a young woman, is exposed to violence from her partner Austin. Upon having abdominal pain, Jill resorted to the hospital without telling the nurse she was punched by her boyfriend. This paper aims to analyze what tools a nurse could use to assess the patient and how Jill’s safety can be promoted.
Jill resorted to the hospital due to unbearable abdominal pain caused by Austin’s punch. Moreover, she did not tell her partner about her pregnancy, meaning he could damage the embryo. Nonetheless, Jill preferred to keep silent about domestic violence when speaking to a nurse. Therefore, a nurse should take action to identify the signs of interpersonal violence since these specialists are endowed with the role of a mandated reporter. When assessing the patient, a nurse must primarily conduct a body check because the victims tend to have scars and bruises. Upon identifying such signs, she could politely ask Jill to report the abuse, ensuring safety and confidentiality. It is also necessary to pay attention to the mental condition of a patient. The victims are regularly avoidant, stressed, and nervous, or they constantly hurry or look around to avoid being caught on something.
The other tool a nurse should implement is the indicator of violent behavior. It is also an assessment of verbal and nonverbal elements aimed at identifying five key STAMP components: staring and eye contact, tone and volume of voice, anxiety, mumbling, and pacing (“Violence risk assessment tools,” 2020). If the number of these cues increases each time a patient sees a nurse, reporting it as soon as possible is indispensable.
Triage is another effective instrument directed at the identification of domestic violence. It incorporates five questions concerning the history of one’s experience of abuse and allows one to establish the significant criteria for the presence of violence is avoidance in answers (“Violence risk assessment tools,” 2020). The fact that Jill is pregnant only boosts the assessing activities because saving a life of a child is crucial as well. As a result, a nurse plays an essential role in the identification of interpersonal violence and may easily report it to avoid any harmful events.
In summary, abuse victims typically hide their partners’ wrongdoing so as not to get more harm from them. Otherwise, the offender apologizes, explains the reason for the cruelty, shifts the blame to the victim, sometimes denies what happened, or convinces the victim of exaggerating events. However, the situation does not alter, meaning that the abused need protection. In order to promote Jill’s health, it is pivotal to report the case. It will help to trace the family dynamics and identify further measures. Moreover, Jill needs to express her thoughts and feeling via I-message to her partner. In addition, seeking protection from local communities may benefit her in terms of ma maintaining her safety and isolating her from the wrongdoer. In general, Jill is recommended to take care of herself and a future child in a safe place to ensure total protection.
Reference
Violence risk assessment tools. (2020). CDC. Web.