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Implementation of Universal Screening for Domestic Violence in an Urgent Care Community Health Center

Department of Community Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, and Institute for Gender Research at the University of Calgary, in Calgary, Alberta, Canada,thurston{at}ucalgary.ca

Leslie M. Tutty, PhD

Faculty of Social Work at the University of Calgary, and RESOLVE Alberta, in Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Amanda C. Eisener, MA

Community Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, at the University of Calgary, in Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Lise Lalonde, RN, BN

Urgent Care Clinic of the South Calgary Health Centre, Calgary Health Region, in Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Cathie Belenky, RN

8th & 8th Community Health Centre, Calgary Health Region, in Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Belinda Osborne, RN, BSCN

8th & 8th Community Health Centre, Calgary Health Region, in Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Given the morbidity and mortality associated with domestic violence (DV), there is international recognition that the health sector has a responsibility to prevent violence. In North America, the health sector has commonly responded by developing protocols for identifying victims of abuse. This utilization-focused evaluation describes the process involved in the implementation of a universal DV screening protocol undertaken by nurses in the urgent care clinic of a community health center. Dealing with the challenges of the urgent care setting, the strong and supportive urgent care team approach helped integrate the screening procedure into routine nursing practice. Understanding the purpose of asking about DV, quickly recognizing problems, validating staff concerns, and adapting procedures resulted in a strong commitment to implementation. This research has implications for others looking to implement or evaluate screening protocols in other health care settings.

Key Words: domestic violence • intervention • screening protocol • health care • urgent care • nursing practice

This version was published on October 1, 2009

Health Promotion Practice, Vol. 10, No. 4, 517-526 (2009)
DOI: 10.1177/1524839907307994


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