Yes We Can! Improving Medical Screening for Intimate Partner Violence through Self-Efficacy

This article details a survey of nurses, medical students, and administrators from a hospital system in Alleghany County, Pennsylvania to determine their attitudes regarding screening patients for Intimate Partner Violence. The health care providers first participated in a training on Intimate Partner Violence with a domestic violence center. The study found that knowledge of available services and understanding of obstacles that impact a victim’s ability to leave an Intimate Partner Violence situation were both correlated with self-efficacy (confidence in the healthcare provider’s ability to successfully screen for Intimate Partner Violence). The results suggest that collaboration between domestic violence advocates and healthcare providers can lead to more successful Intimate Partner Violence screening in healthcare settings.