Citation

Cox H, Cash P, Hanna B, D'Arcy-Tehan F, Adams C. Aust. J. Rural Health 2001; 9(6): 280-285.

Affiliation

School of Nursing, Deakin University, Burwood. helencox@deakin.edu.au

Copyright

(Copyright © 2001, Association for Australian Rural Nurses; National Rural Health Alliance, Publisher John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

11998262

Abstract

This paper reports on a descriptive study into family violence in rural Victoria. Focus groups were held in a number of areas across rural Victoria with a total of 24 community nurse participants. The focus groups were audio-taped and the tapes transcribed to enable the clustering of themes. The dominant themes were: picking up cues, helping and helplessness, holding secrets and quiet resistance. Underpinning all these themes however, was the notion of 'risky business'. All nurses in the study gave examples of situations that they encountered; their ways of helping; of working around a system that is unhelpful; and the ways in which their work while skilled, thoughtful and wise, is also costly in terms of the emotional wounds they carry. Rural nurses work with considerable risk and courage as they engage in the care and support of women experiencing family violence.

Language: en