Perception of nursing students about couples' violence: knowledge, beliefs and professional role

• Published in: Revista latino-americana de enfermagem 2015-05, Vol.23 (3), p.527-534
• Main Authors: Rigol Cuadra, Assumpta, Galbany Estragués, Paola, Fuentes Pumarola, Concepció, Burjales Martí, Maria Dolors, Rodríguez-Martín, Dolors, Ballester Ferrando, David
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Abused women; Actitudes y Práctica en Salud; Avaluació dels estudiants; Competències transversals; Conocimientos; Couple; Culture; Dones maltractades; Educación en Enfermería; Female; Generic competences; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Humans; Infermeria; Intimate Partner Violence; Male; Man-woman relationships; Nurse's Role; NURSING; Nursing assessment; Nursing care plans; Parella; Protocols d'infermeria; Rating of students; Relacions home-dona; Students, Nursing; Valoració d'infermeria; Violence against women; Violencia Contra la Mujer; Violència contra les dones
• ISSN: 1518-8345; 0104-1169; 1518-8345
• DOI: 10.1590/0104-1169.0357.2584

to analyse the knowledge, beliefs and perception of the professional role that nursing students have, about exerted violence against women in relationships. a descriptive qualitative study following the ecological model through 16 focus groups realized with 112 students from four nursing courses of four Spanish universities. the analytical categories were: knowledge, professional role, and beliefs about ones behaviour before the victim and the abuser. Students are unfamiliar with the characteristics of abuse, guidelines, protocols and screening questions and demand patterns for specific intervention. They do not identify their own professional role, be it delegated or specialized. Beliefs regarding their behaviour with the victim, not guided by professional criteria, perceive violence as a specific situation and disassociate the prevention of health care. They perceive the abuser as mentally ill, justifying the tolerance or delegation of performances. students define preconceived ideas about couples' violence. Speeches reproduce and reinforce stereotypical myths, values indicative of inadequate training for nursing studies which raises the need to fortify the competencies in relation to intimate couples' violence in the curriculum.