Approximately one in four women in the United States will experience Domestic Violence at some point in her life. The American Medical Association (AMA) and the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (TJC) both recognize this as a high priority public health concern. Research demonstrates the importance of screening every woman for Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) each time she seeks health care. However, research also shows that less than 15% of female patients report being asked about Domestic Violence. The purpose of this capstone project was to describe the level of NP recognition and response regarding DV before and after an online DV educational intervention. Since studies show that less than half of all Nurse Practitioners screen their patients for IPV, the health care community must explore ways to disseminate crucial information relevant to domestic violence. This intervention sought to offer current information and available resources to NPs in an online educational program. For this project, “intimate partner violence” and “domestic violence” are used interchangeably and “describes physical, sexual, or psychological harm by a current for former partner or spouse”. The goal of this project was to successfully implement an online educational intervention for Nurse Practitioners.
