Domestic violence screening: implications for surgical nurses.

Domestic violence is a learned pattern of behaviors used by one person in a relationship to control the other partner through physical, sexual, or emotional abuse. Four million women are abused every year in the United States, or about one every 15 seconds (OCCCADV, 2005). Each year, more than one million women seek medical care for injuries caused by domestic violence, with an associated cost of $5 billion (CDC, 2003). One in five victims report to the emergency center, but only 10% are identified as victims of abuse (Jones, 1993). Nurses in the surgical setting are in a position to assess for abuse, to provide physical treatment if needed and also provide patients with support and resources. Careful documentation and photographs of any injuries can assist with successful prosecution of the perpetrator.