10-Year Study of Christian Church Support for Domestic Violence Victims: 2005-2015

Religious beliefs play a significant role in the lives of victims of domestic violence. Victims find strength in their faith and would rather endure the violence at all costs to keep a family or a marriage together, than to compromise their faith by leaving. This 10 -year study explored the climate of support for victims of domestic violence among Christian clergy and church members between 2005 and 2015. Using a convenience sample, surveys were sent out to congregations in the Upper Midwest in 2005 and 2015. The survey included demographics; two items measuring perception of domestic violence in the congregation and community; six Likert Scale items regarding agreement with statements concerning leaving an abusive marriage; four "Yes-No" items regarding the impact of faith in leaving, support of the congregation, community resources, and clergy as counselors. The clergy's survey had the same questions plus open-ended questions about their skills in counseling victims, their congregation's support for victims, community resources, and beliefs that could impact a victim's choice in leaving. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, simple frequencies, and bivariate correlations. Narrative data were analyzed using content analysis. The results of this study indicated that change is slow. Members want their clergy to become more educated in counseling and in speaking about domestic violence from the pulpit. Clergy felt comfortable in making referrals for professional counseling, while the majority of members would prefer counseling with their pastor if they were in a violent relationship. Both clergy and members want to create a safe and supportive environment for victims/survivors of violent relationships. Findings from this study exemplify the need for pastors to remove the silence about domestic violence in their congregations and address the misunderstood social religious beliefs that may bind a victim to the violence.

Partner violence, depression, and recidivism: the case of incarcerated women and why we need programs designed for them

The number of women in prison in the United States has been growing rapidly over the last 30 years. A large percentage of the incarcerated women have been victimized by violent partners and family members. Some of these women have been forced with threats of violence by their abusers to participate in illegal activities. Most of the women have children and many of the women will never see their children while in prison. Incarcerated women who have experienced intimate partner violence are at risk for depression, posttraumatic stress disorder, anxiety, substance abuse, and suicide. Recidivism for women prisoners is associated with depression. In spite of the cost of recidivism and the growing overcrowded conditions in women's prisons, there are no known studies in the literature that test the effectiveness of a gender-sensitive intervention to reduce depression in incarcerated women as a means of reducing recidivism. The purpose of this paper is to illuminate the need for an effective cognitive therapy program that is designed specifically to reduce women's depression by raising awareness of inherited negative messages, affirmation of self and others, and empowerment through goal setting. The INSIGHT program is introduced as an example of a gender-sensitive program.

Bittersweet knowledge: the long-term effects of an international experience

Although many schools of nursing are offering international experiences for students, there has been minimal research that demonstrates a link between what students experience in these international programs and the subsequent long-term effects on their personal and professional lives as nurses. The purpose of this descriptive qualitative study was to describe the effects of an international nursing student experience on participants' later personal and professional lives. The participants were 6 nurses who had completed a student international experience in Guatemala 2 years prior. Data collection methods included individual written narratives and a focus group. The overarching theme of the experience was that the participants had gained "Bittersweet Knowledge." Three themes supported this over-arching theme: "Coming to Understand" represented the positive side of the experience, "Unsettled Feelings" represented the uncomfortable side of the experience, and "Advocating for Change" represented the ongoing response to the experience.

Meaning of INSIGHT participation among women who have experienced intimate partner violence

This phenomenological study explored the meaning that women with violent partners found in participating in a 20-week group cognitive therapy program called INSIGHT. Through a two-step interview process, ten women who had experienced intimate partner violence described what it meant to them to decide to participate in INSIGHT; what was meaningful about the program; and what influence the program had on their lives. Findings indicated an overarching theme that described a process of Rescuing Self. This study adds support for the utility of interventions, such as INSIGHT, that nurture self-emergence among women who have experienced intimate partner violence.

Death as a transformation of wholeness: an "aha" experience of health as expanding consciousness

A nurse-patient clinical experience is presented from a unitary transformative perspective. The experience is interpreted through Newman's theory of health as expanding consciousness. A brief description of Newman's theory is given in order to provide the reader with Newman's key terms and fundamental philosophical principles. The nurse-patient healing partnership is explained using Newman's terminology and theory of health as expanding consciousness. The purpose of this article is to advance the critical importance of uncompromised and nonfragmented nursing care in partnership with the irreducible whole person.

The meaning of participation in an international service experience among baccalaureate nursing students

Nine nursing students volunteered their spring break to provide nursing service in a rural, economically challenged area of Guatemala. The students were involved in all aspects of planning and preparation for the international experience. All nine students participated in a qualitative study which sought to describe the meaning of participation in an international service experience among baccalaureate nursing students. Data were collected through reflection journals, evening group conversations in Guatemala, written narratives, and a post-experience focus group interview. Six themes were uncovered using content analysis: (a) Clarification of career path/goals, (b) Improved understanding of social justice and globalization issues, (c) Motivation to continue service work, (d) Discovering the reciprocity of relationships with others, (e) Appreciation for the whole person, and (f) Finding a way to respect the sacredness of the experience. This study lends support for the positive benefits of short-term international experiences for nursing students.

Identifying underserved ethnic populations within a community: the first step in eliminating health care disparities among racial and ethnic minorities

As set forth by the United States Department of Health and Human Services in Healthy People 2010, the primary goal of the national health promotion and disease prevention plan is to eliminate the health care disparities among racial and ethnic groups. This disparity is due, in part, to unequal health access. However, equal access to health care alone would not eliminate the difference. The health care provided must be culturally competent to be effective. Before providers can effectively begin strategizing ways to provide culturally sensitive health care for the people they serve, they first need to identify the groups of people in their service areas. A clinical example will be used to demonstrate public health nursing's role in accessing and advocating for uncounted populations as a fundamental beginning for eliminating disparity in health care delivery.

Effect of cognitive therapy on depression in rural, battered women

The purpose of this pilot study was to explore the feasibility of a future randomized trial to determine the effect of a 20-week cognitive therapy intervention (INSIGHT) on depression in battered women. An experimental, 2 group pretest and posttest design was used in this study with 18 rural women who have experienced battering and 9 rural women who have not. The results of this study lend feasibility to other studies using INSIGHT with a larger, randomized sample. The 50% attrition rate for the battered women suggests the need for phase-specific sensitivity in future research.