Quality and safety graduate competencies in psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner education.

Education of the psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner (PMHNP) is undergoing massive change, partially driven by practice requirements and national certification changes, the development of new nurse practitioner competencies, and the development of the graduate quality and safety in nursing (QSEN) competencies. We are in the middle of a paradigm shift of expectations, not only just from these new competencies but also from the context of care and the impact PMHNP graduates will have on policy and health care delivery in the future. In this review article, the authors will discuss the general categories of the graduate QSEN competencies and how they relate to PMHNP education, competency development, and the application to curricular development in PMHNP programs across the United States.

Substance abuse interface with intimate partner violence: what treatment programs need to know.

This article provides suggestions for skill development for substance abuse (SA) treatment agencies and providers for implementing Treatment Improvement Protocol number 25: Substance Abuse Treatment and Domestic Violence. Methods for detecting, screening, intervening, and referring victims and perpetrators of intimate partner violence enrolled in SA treatment are presented. Evidence-based brief intervention is presented.

Sexual abuse and posttraumatic stress disorder in adult women with severe mental illness: a pilot study.

Research indicates that women with serious mental illness (SMI) are vulnerable to sexual abuse, resulting in adverse health outcomes such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The purpose of this pilot study was to examine the prevalence of undiagnosed PTSD among a cohort of 20 women with SMI and reporting past sexual abuse. Furthermore, the researcher sought to identify specific symptom manifestations of PTSD among women with SMI and sexual abuse histories.

Intimate partner violence, pregnancy and the decision for abortion.

Pregnant women whose lives are affected by intimate partner violence and unintended pregnancy are often faced with the decision for abortion. In this qualitative research, the authors explored women's experiences of unintended pregnancy and intimate partner violence (IPV) from the perspective of adult pregnant women seeking abortion. Women were assessed for intimate partner violence and study inclusion by means of two IPV screening tools.

Being emotionally abused: a phenomenological study of adult women's experiences of emotionally abusive intimate partner relationships.

The purpose of this study was to explore and describe individual perceptions, meanings, and definitions of emotional abuse through the lived experience of women who identified themselves as being emotionally abused by an intimate partner (IP). To answer the research question, "What is it like to live the life of a woman who is emotionally abused by her intimate partner?" A descriptive, phenomenological research design was undertaken. Unstructured individual interviews with 15 emotionally abused adult women resulted in the discovery of seven essential themes: captivity, defining moments, disassociation from self, fixing, mindful manipulation, relentless terror, and taking a stand.

Violent lives of women: critical points for intervention/life charting.

Each year, 5.3 million women are abused and several thousand die at the hands of intimate partners. If family violence were better understood, it could be predicted, described by patterns and prevented.

Safe family project: a training model to improve care to victims of domestic violence.

Hospitals must implement staff development programs to assure that nurses and other staff have requisite knowledge, attitudes, and skills to provide quality care for patients who are victims of domestic violence. The author describes a community campus partnership designed to improve care through use of a logic model which follows these steps: needs and assets assessment, capacity building, program selection, implementation and assessment, and final evaluation. The analysis has implications for other health institutions.

Increasing physician impact on the prevention of domestic violence.

Physicians in their professional organizations have recognized the tremendous toll of domestic violence on the safety and health of their patients. Effective integration of screening and referral into routine practice has encountered many significant barriers, primarily the syndrome of compassion fatigue. This article describes how physicians can enhance the safety of families.