Woman abuse : Violence faite aux femmes: dépistage, identification et intervention initiale

The document needs to be reviewed and applied, based on the specific needs of the organization or practice setting/environment, as well as the needs and wishes of the client. [...] These are presented following a description of relevant terms and concepts and a discussion of the rationale for the development of the best practice guideline. [...] The following definition was developed by Reynolds and Schweitzer (1998) for The London Abused Women’s Centre: [Woman abuse is] the intentional and systematic use of tactics to establish and maintain power and control over the thoughts, beliefs, and conduct of a woman through the inducement of fear and/or dependency. [...] The role of the nurse is to: ■ Ask the question; ■ Acknowledge the abuse; ■ Validate the woman’s experience; ■ Assess immediate safety; ■ Explore options; ■ Refer to violence against women services at the woman’s request; and ■ Document the interaction. [...] While individual nurses or institutions may decide to use a standardized tool, some of which are included in this document, the panel places high value on the nursing history/assessment interview, the demeanor and skill of the nurse, and the normalization of “asking the question”.