Sjuksköterskors hanterande av kvinnor inom psykiatrisk vård som utsatts för våld i nära relationer
AbstractAims: To explore whether and in that case how nurses question women in the psychiatric care about violence in close relationships and how nurses respond to women who have been exposed to domestic violence.Method: A qualitative descriptive interview study with twelve nurses from four psychiatric wards was carried out in Uppsala. Informants were chosen from a convenient selection. The interviews with semi-structured interview questions were recorded on tape, transcribed and analyzed with content analysis.Results: There is no routine to ask all female patients if they are victims of violence. It happens only in cases where the suspicion arises or is confirmed. It is individually whether and how the nurse asks the woman if she is subjected to violence in a close relationship, depending on patient and nurse. Nurse handles the violence exposed woman by supporting her to share their experiences. Then consult and discuss with their nurse colleagues and other professionals for further follow-up and approach.Conclusions: The study has in accordance with previous research further highlighted the need for more education for nurses on how to handle women who are victims of violence in close relationships. More research should be done in Sweden to develop and implement standardized questionnaire for nurses in all health care.