Indian nurses' experiences of caring for women exposed to gender-based violence : A qualitative study
Abstract: Background: Men’s violence against women is a serious and extensive problem in the Indian society that affects the lives of these women entirely. The level of violence against women occur independent from all classes and ages. The estimated number of unknown cases is high and the uncertainty regarding number of victims is large. On a global perspective, the situation is even more confusing since the definitions of what makes a violent act varies substantially between countries and can range from anything between psychological, physical to sexual violence. Aim: To describe Indian nurse’s experience of caring for women exposed to gender-based violence. Methods: A qualitative study with semi-structured interviews was conducted. The interviews were made in four different hospitals in Mumbai, India. Five separated interviews were conducted with duration between 30-45 minutes with working nurses who all have experience in caring for women exposed to violence. Data was analyzed using content analysis described by Graneheim and Lundman (2004). Results: The data analysis revealed four main categories: Nurse patient relationship, Nurses ability to detect gender based violence, a part of the nursing process, Challenges in the nursing profession and Management of emotional impact. The nurses talked about the importance of building a trustful relationship and to observe the patient in order to identify violence. Challenges as language barriers, getting the women to open up about their situation and getting emotionally affected while caring for the women were described. Family support and teambuilding were of importance in order to handle these challenges. Discussions: It can be very difficult for women who have been exposed to violence to seek help. It is therefore important for the nurse to create a trustful relationship in order to get the woman to open up about her situation. However, studies show that nurses often get emotionally stressed from work and that many newly graduated nurses are thinking about leaving the profession. For this reason it is important that nurses get support in coping with the emotional impact and stress that comes from work.
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