Nursing students training on domestic violence: How are we doing?

Abstract

Introduction: Domestic violence is a public health problem. Evidence suggests deficits in nurses' knowledge and training in this area. Objectives: To identify the curricular units of the study plan for the Nursing degree course at a Health School in the north of Portugal that addresses the topic of domestic violence and identify improvement opportunities. Methodology: This is the first phase of an action-research study, with a qualitative exploratory and descriptive methodology and a non-probabilistic convenience sample. The following data collection instruments were used: documental analysis of the nursing degree study plan and a focus group with two fourth-year students and three professors. Results: No content related to the theme was identified in any of the curricular units. The focus group content analysis identified three categories: curricular program, importance of training, and opportunities for improvement. Conclusion: These results corroborate the available evidence, justifying and highlighting the relevance of the next phases of this study.