Despite wide recognition that health care providers across all disciplines encounter victims of domestic violence in all practice settings, few have studied public health nurses (PHNs) who visit domestic violence victims and their families in their homes. Furthermore, the limited numbers of studies that have been conducted with PHNs have yet to describe the actual practice and experiences, from the perspective of the PHNs. Thus, the phenomenon of interest that will be investigated in this study is the lived experiences of PHNs who work with families experiencing domestic violence in their home visiting caseloads of childbearing/childrearing families.
The specific aims are to a) describe the lived experiences of public health nurses when they have identified and intervened in domestic violence cases within their home-visiting caseloads of childbearing/childrearing families, b) describe the lived experiences of public health nurses when they perceived that they were unable to intervene in cases of suspected or confirmed domestic violence in their home-visiting caseloads of childbearing/childrearing families, and c) describe the factors that influence domestic violence identification and intervention, derived from the lived experiences of public health nurses working with childbearing/childrearing families in their homes. The study will utilize a descriptive phenomenology approach, in which semi-structured interviews will be conducted with PHNs from three different practice settings: urban, suburban, and rural. The transcripts will be analyzed to compare and contrast the themes that emerge from the three different practice settings. This knowledge gained from this study is essential for further development of practice and research related to the role of PHNs in domestic violence prevention and intervention.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR)
Type
Predoctoral Individual National Research Service Award (F31)
Project #
5F31NR007936-02
Application #
6529028
Study Section
National Institute of Nursing Research Initial Review Group (NRRC)
Program Officer
Phillips, Janice
Project Start
2002-09-15
Project End
Budget Start
2002-09-15
Budget End
2003-06-14
Support Year
2
Fiscal Year
2002
Total Cost
$21,980
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Minnesota Twin Cities
Department
Type
Schools of Nursing
DUNS #
168559177
City
Minneapolis
State
MN
Country
United States
Zip Code
55455
Hymovich, D P; Roehnert, J E (1989) Psychosocial consequences of childhood cancer. Semin Oncol Nurs 5:56-62