Health Care Professionals Ending Violence Against Women
Health care professionals are in the critical position of providing services to victims of violence as the first contact point for many of these victims. It is crucial that health care professionals recognize their potential to intervene appropriately. Immediate recognition of the problem and the provision of medical care and referrals to appropriate resources within the community can make all the difference. Leaders in the field have identified the following strategies to make interventions by health care professionals more effective.
- Incorporate Training into Curricula. Support the incorporation of domestic violence and sexual assault training in medical, nursing, and allied health care professional education curricula.
- Make Resources Available to Patients. Make resource materials available in waiting rooms and restrooms. Include the National Domestic Violence Hotline number 1-800-799-SAFE(7233) or 1-800-787-3224(TDD).
- Support Incorporation of Protocols into Accreditation Process. Support efforts to ensure that domestic violence and sexual assault protocols are addressed through the National Commission for Quality Assurance and the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Hospitals.
- Encourage Continuing Education on Violence Against Women Issues. Encourage your state licensing boards and various specialty groups to encourage physicians and nurses to allocate Continuing Medical Education (CME) hours to violence against women related issues for re-licensure requirements.
- Involve Medical Organizations and Societies in Increasing Awareness. Collaborate with health care professional organizations and societies in your area to increase medical school and health care professional involvement in addressing violence against women.
- Feature Violence Against Women on Meeting Agendas. Arrange presentations and symposiums on violence against women at various health care specialty annual, regional and local meetings.
- Highlight Commitment to Violence Against Women Issues. Give awards, citations, and certificates to exceptional organizations and individuals for their continued commitment to addressing violence against women.
- Develop a Standard Intake Form. Develop a standardized intake assessment form for health care professionals who interact with victims of domestic or sexual violence. This assessment form would ensure that certain information regarding these incidents is identified and proper resources are utilized.
- Ensure Employee Assistance Programs are Responsive to Victims of Domestic Violence. Determine whether your health care facility's employee assistance program (EAP) includes domestic violence services or referrals. If it does not, speak with your human resources director or the appropriate manager about the possibility of expanding the program to address the needs of employees facing violence in their homes. All EAP personnel should receive domestic violence training and have an understanding of the dynamics of domestic violence.
- Volunteer. Provide a health care series on a volunteer basis to community organizations that serve victims of domestic and sexual violence.
Learn more ways to help end violence against women in the in the full speech, "A Community Checklist: Important Steps to End Violence Against Women"...what can we do about it?," by Janet Reno and Donna E. Shalala. Exerpt used with permission of the U.S. Department of Justice.
More from your About.com Guide
Elsewhere on About.com
Domestic Violence Safety Planning from Women's Issues Guide Karen Gould.
Domestic Violence Surviors from Abuse/Incest Guide Nancy Burnett.
Identify Potential Abusers from Lexington, KY Guide Lynn Johnson.
Related Links
Violence and Injury from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Women's Health.
Violence Against Women Health Consequences from the World Health Organization (WHO).
Women and Violence from the United Nations Human Rights.
1-800-799-SAFE (7233) 1-800-787-3224 (TTY)
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