TRIAGE FUNDAMENTALS #06: VIOLENCE POTENTIALS AND VICTIMS

Course overview

As the incidence and documented reports of family violence has risen, the frequency of violence in the healthcare workplace has also escalated. The following lessons on family violence are covered in this activity: intimate partner violence; elder abuse; and child abuse. The triage nurse cannot pre-determine victim potential based on age, gender, or socioeconomic status because family violence permeates all demographics. Consequently, triage staff must be vigilant in complying with organizational policy and ask assessment questions that increase victim identification. Developing an understanding of the cycle of violence, perpetrator characteristics, and victim responses gives triage nurses the confidence they need to pose some very difficult questions. Whether through recognition of a potential for violence at triage or identification of a possible victim of violence, the triage nurse can and does impact outcomes related to safety. When triage staff is well-versed in the early identification of potentials for violence, the workplace becomes safer. When triage staff is provided with a knowledge foundation to recognize family violence victims, those victims have an opportunity to get help and improve their situation.