Social Violence & Patients For an emergency room doctor or nurse, it can be very frustrating to save the life of a patient, only to have them show back up a month later, especially when the injury is due to social violence.Social violence comes in many forms, however the one we are most familiar with is domestic violence against women. Every 9 seconds a woman is beaten, and this is totally unacceptable. Emergency Rooms & Domestic Violence When a patient comes in to the emergency department with an injury, most states now have laws in place that require you to ask the patient if anyone is harming them, or if they feel they are in danger. This should be done in a particular manner, as the abuser is often the one that accompanies the patient to the hospital. If the patient has someone with them, ask for some privacy and question the patient alone. It's easy to observe reactions of the patients that feel in danger, just handle thesituation carefully so that things are not made worse for the patient. Assuring the patient that security is close by can offer some peace of mind. Never leave a patient alone with the possible abuser under any circumstances. There are often code words or phrases that alert other staff members to call police in a situation that the patient's abuser is with them. Related: 5 Hairstyles That Will Keep Your Hair Out Of Your Face Recognizing Abused Patients Do you know what to look for with an abused patient? There are obvious signs, however there are also signs that may not be quite so noticeable. -
A patient that is evasive about how their injury occurred. A patient that is repeatedly in the emergency room with injuries, and a variety of excuses. Patients that will not look you in the eye, but rather keep their head tucked should be questioned extensively. A patient that has old and healed injuries in multiples The patient's companion that does not want to leave them alone to speak with intake coordinator.
One very important fact to consider is that about 50% of victims display one of more of the signs of abuse. 50% do not show signs of abuse, they have mastered the art of concealing it.