Domestic violence care among emergency nurses in South Korea: Recognition, response, institutional support, and educational needs.

BACKGROUND

Emergency nurses play a critical role in identifying and managing domestic violence (DV); however, gaps remain in their preparedness and clinical responses.

AIM: To examine recognition, response, institutional support, and educational needs among emergency nurses in South Korea, and to explore differences in DV-related measures according to personal DV exposure.

METHODS

A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 313 emergency nurses in South Korea using a questionnaire developed through literature review. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, independent t-tests, chi-square tests, and Holm adjustment.

RESULTS

Although 75.7% considered screening appropriate when DV was suspected, 41.5% had ever conducted screening. Among nurses with experience in DV care, 16.2% and 12.5% reported evidence collection/preservation and direct reporting to law enforcement, respectively. Institutional DV protocols were available to 42.5%. Only 25.2% had received DV education, whereas 94.2% perceived further education as necessary. Nurses who witnessed DV among family members reported lower perceived reporting barriers (Holm-adjusted p < .001).

CONCLUSION

DV screening was widely considered appropriate when DV was suspected, whereas screening experience, specialized forensic practices, and institutional support were limited, and the perceived need for further DV education was high. Future studies should evaluate interventions combining DV education with institutional support.