University of Missouri Program Trains Nursing School Students to Identify Victims of Intimate Partner Violence

A new training program developed in the Sinclair School of Nursing at the University of Missouri, provides a tool for nurses to identify victims of intimate partner violence (IPV) and to counsel women who have been impacted by domestic abuse. The new program uses simulation training and is the first such program used in undergraduate nursing education in the United States, according to the university.

The program was developed by Lea Wood, director of simulation and assistant teaching professor of nursing at the University of Missouri. She states that “nearly every nurse will encounter a victim of IPV during his/her career. Yet, many providers feel uncomfortable when it happens. They worry that they will say the wrong thing and make the situation worse for the patient. So while providers know the importance of screening patients for IPV, the number of screenings actually occurring remains low. ”

Dr. Wood holds bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees in nursing, all from the University of Missouri.

A video about the program can be seen below.