[Mission woman: a survey on the perception of the "Service of Welcome and Listening" offered in the Emergency Department at the San Camillo Hospital in Rome by women victims of violence]

INTRODUCTION

The project Mission Woman was set up to describe how the service offered by the Emergency Department of the Hospital San Camillo-Forlanini in Rome was perceived by women victims ( or supposed to be) of violence. The objective of this investigation is to frame clients' perception about the service offered by staff in terms of sensitivity, recognition and management of the issue. The access to the Emergency Room is the first contact of the client with a helping relationship which goes beyond the simple provision of medical care.

METHODS

A questionnaire devised for the purpose was filled in by women who have asked for help to the Service "Door Woman" . The Service "Door Woman", set up in 2009, aimed to welcome and listen women victims of violence with the collaboration of different operators in the emergency department: nurses, doctors, psychologists and social workers. The project developed within the Hospital S. Camillo-Forlanini is managed by both professionals of the Emergency Department together with the Charity "Be Free". The service is open 24/7, all year, the clients could be women or children and could receive assistance or medical, nursing, psychosocial and legal counselling. The triage nurses are those who through their expertise could first identify the victims of violence and to introduce them in the path.

CONCLUSION

Despite the level of injuries, who access to the Emergency Room for single or repeated events of violence, may have decided to claim in court and not hide seeking.. The research aims to understand what are the theoretical and practical deficiencies of staff in the management of a issue which is not only medical but also social and legal, as well as structural and organizational weaknesses of the service.