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Family violence: Screening and assessment

CPD Hours

1.5

Category

Working with vulnerable people
Community and primary health care
All Modules
Clinical practice and procedures

Overview

Family violence is a significant health problem in Australia. The Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation has outlined the specific role of nurses and midwives in identifying victims of abuse and facilitating access to support networks, while maintaining privacy and confidentiality.

Each state and territory has mandatory reporting laws for suspected child abuse. In all cases of violence, nurses and midwives have a duty to help empower victims, with the goal of preventing further harm, enhancing patient safety, and offering protection.

Nurses and midwives are in a unique position to identify victims of violence who may benefit from assistance. Therefore, screening for family violence must be a routine part of all patient care.

Learning Objective

At the end of this module participants will be able to:

  • Define the special populations at risk of interpersonal abuse and family violence
  • Identify the steps in screening for abuse and family violence
  • Describe the nine steps to intervention in situations of violence (the 9Rs)
  • Understand why safety and risk assessments are valuable tools to help appropriately support survivors of abuse
  • Understand the importance of documentation, as well as adhering to legal and professional obligations, while maintaining patient confidentiality in cases of abuse or violence

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