KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDE, AND PRACTICE OF NURSES REGARDING SCREENING AND EDUCATING WOMEN ON INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE AND RECOURSE CHOICES AT NATIONAL HOSPITAL, ABUJA
Abstract
Intimate partner violence (IPV) against women is a major public health problem with far-reaching consequences for women's physical, reproductive, and mental health. This study assessed the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of nurses regarding the screening and education of women on intimate partner violence and recourse choices at National Hospital, Abuja. A descriptive cross-sectional study design was adopted, and a purposive sampling technique was used to recruit 205 nurses. Data were collected using a structured self-administered questionnaire and analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the data, while the chi-square test was employed to test the study hypothesis at a 0.05 level of significance. The findings revealed that 68 (45.9%) of the respondents were aged 20–29 years, 113 (78.4%) were female, 107 (72.3%) held a diploma in nursing, 79 (53.4%) had 1–5 years of work experience, and 41 (27.7%) worked in the Obstetrics and Gynaecology Unit. Overall, 89.9% of the respondents demonstrated a high level of knowledge of intimate partner violence and recourse choices, 75.7% exhibited positive attitudes towards educating women on intimate partner violence and recourse choices, and 60.1% reported a high level of practice in educating women on intimate partner violence and available recourse options. The study concludes that nurses possessed good knowledge, positive attitudes, and satisfactory practices regarding the screening and education of women on intimate partner violence and recourse choices. Continuous professional education and training on the assessment, management, referral, and available support services for survivors of intimate partner violence are recommended to strengthen nurses' capacity to provide effective education and appropriate interventions.
