A 45-year-old married woman who works full time in a factory has recently been absent for 3-day periods on several occasions.Each time,she returned to work wearing dark glasses.Facial and body bruises were apparent.Her supervisor became suspicious that she was a victim of battering and referred her to the occupational health nurse.Which initial inquiry would be most important for the nurse to make?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Obtaining the victim's explanation and perception of what is happening is the most important initial focus of assessment.If the explanation does not match the injuries or the victim minimizes the injury,abuse should be suspected.Asking if her husband beat her seeks desired assessment information but in a blunt manner likely to interfere with trust and put the patient on the defensive."Why do you let this happen?" and "What can you do to prevent this?" both imply that the patient is to blame for allowing or failing to stop the abuse.

A 45-Year-Old Married Woman Who Works Full Time in a Factory