Nurses’ knowledge, attitudes and preparedness to manage women with intimate partner violence

AIM: To investigate nurses' knowledge, attitudes and practices related to intimate partner violence among women in Saudi Arabian healthcare settings. BACKGROUND: There is a global focus on abuse experiences in clinical settings. However, nurses' practice in managing intimate partner violence patients in Saudi healthcare settings has not yet been examined. INTRODUCTION: Intimate partner violence is a health issue that can lead to mortality and morbidity. It has recently received attention in an Arabian context. Thus, scrutinizing nurses' role in responding to intimate partner violence patients is needed to fill a current gap. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted with a convenience sample of 114 nurses from two hospitals in Saudi Arabia using a questionnaire. RESULTS: Minimal previous intimate partner violence training was reported, as 63% of nurses had not received training related to intimate partner violence, and 52% believed that they did not receive adequate training to respond to intimate partner violence survivors. The results show that nurses had both low perceived knowledge and low preparedness in managing intimate partner violence, and only had basic intimate partner violence knowledge. Results indicated that nurses did not have appropriate attitudes towards intimate partner violence. The majority were not aware about intimate partner violence protocols or policies in their institutions. Only 2.6% had diagnosed intimate partner violence in the last six months. CONCLUSION: There were gaps in nurses' perceived preparedness, knowledge, attitudes and behaviours. There was also limited training and preparation for nurses to assess and address intimate partner violence. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING AND HEALTH POLICY: The study suggests the need for clear institutional health policies related to detecting, responding to, and preventing intimate partner violence. Guidelines about integrating intimate partner violence in nursing curricula and implementing in-service training should be developed and implemented. A multi-level intervention that enables nurses to respond to intimate partner violence is also needed.