A Study Comparing the Pre- and Post-Training Knowledge of Emergency Department Nurses in Turkey for the Diagnosis of Physically Abused Women

Abstract

This study assesses the knowledge levels of emergency service nurses regarding their ability to recognize the signs of physical abuse in women, before and after an educational program. The research was conducted in Istanbul city center, using a comparative definitive method. The universe of the research consisted of emergency service nurses of three different publics. Data were collected via face to face interviews based on a questionnaire comprised of 21 questions with forty nine nurses. The results of the research revealed that 58.6 % (n = 27) of ER nurses were between 18-25 years of age and 100 % (n = 46) of them didn't have any previous education on recognizing violence, and the scores before, just after and 3 months after the education program were statistically meaningful (x = 30, p < 0.0001). This study indicates that forensic medicine should be built up in nursing schools and via in-service training, the workers should be supported to improve themselves.