Abstract:
BACKGROUND : Emergency nurses’ understanding and interpretation of intimate partner violence influence the care they provide
to women exposed to intimate partner violence.
OBJECTIVES : The aim of this study was to uncover discourses that may help understand emergency nurses’ responses towards
women exposed to intimate partner violence
MATERIALS AND METHODS : This study used a qualitative design to explore emergency nurses’ discourses. Purposive sampling was
used to select 15 participants working at an emergency unit in a public hospital in South Africa. Data were collected through
three focus group discussions comprised of five emergency nurses each. Foucauldian discourse analysis was used to analyse the
transcribed data.
RESULTS : Four themes emerged from the focus group discussions: (1) strong women subject themselves to societal expectations
and endure intimate partner violence, (2) women are vulnerable and powerless against intimate partner violence, (3) intimate
partner violence is a private and secret phenomenon, and (4) emergency nurses have limited scope to intervene when they encounter
women exposed to intimate partner violence.
CONCLUSION ; Emergency nurses are in a position to intervene in intimate partner violence through portraying a non-judgmental
approach that lay the foundation for disclosure, supporting women to change their intimate partner violence (IPV) situations,
documentation, referral and safety planning.
