Other Titles
Advanced practice nurses: Innovations in nursing education and practice
Abstract
Session presented on Monday, July 25, 2016:
The behaviours and expressions portrayed by the victims of sexual assault when presenting in the health setting for the first time can be very confusing to the nurse practitioner. In some cases, such behaviours are often misinterpreted, documented with uninformed judgemental statements that potentially label the victim as a liar and can lead to maltreatment and secondary victimization of the victim of sexual assault as a patient. This paper describes the victims' experiences and related behaviours during the first week following trauma. It further explains neurological response by tapping into the brain and body reactions to sexual assault trauma as described by Campbell et all, 2011. Implications and guidelines for caring for victims during the first week are discussed. A grounded theory approach was used to conduct a longitudinal qualitative study of the victims of sexual violence immediately following the incident of sexual assault to the end of sic months thereafter. The purpose was to discover the process of recovery from sexual assault trauma as experienced and described by the victims. Ten women participated through a series of in-depth interviews. Strauss and Cobin's (1994) grounded theory data analysis methods were used to for data analysis and discovery of the theory of recovery from sexual assault trauma, with the following concepts: Mental paralysis, Awakening, Pragmatic Acceptance, Turning point, Reclaiming what was lost, Defining own landmarks for healing and returning to self. The presentation will focus on the two concepts of the theory of recovery from sexual assault trauma i.e. mental paralysis and awakening because these are the initial responses and behaviours that are often expressed by patients and observed by nurse practitioners when the victims of sexual assault first present for forensic medical care. The purpose of this paper is to provide nurse practitioners with the neurological explanation of the sexual assault victims' behaviours during the first week following sexual assault trauma by tapping into the brain and body reactions to sexual assault trauma in order to assist nurse practitioners with knowledge to influence positive clinical outcomes for the sexual assault victims as patients.
Sigma Membership
Tau Lambda at-Large
Type
Presentation
Format Type
Text-based Document
Study Design/Type
Grounded Theory
Research Approach
Qualitative Research
Keywords:
Sexual Assault Victim, Neurological Response, Nurse Practitioner
Recommended Citation
Duma, Sinegugu, "The sexual assault victim: What every nurse practitioner should know" (2016). INRC (Congress). 173.
https://www.sigmarepository.org/inrc/2016/presentations_2016/173
Conference Name
27th International Nursing Research Congress
Conference Host
Sigma Theta Tau International
Conference Location
Cape Town, South Africa
Conference Year
2016
Rights Holder
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Acquisition
Proxy-submission
The sexual assault victim: What every nurse practitioner should know
Cape Town, South Africa
Session presented on Monday, July 25, 2016:
The behaviours and expressions portrayed by the victims of sexual assault when presenting in the health setting for the first time can be very confusing to the nurse practitioner. In some cases, such behaviours are often misinterpreted, documented with uninformed judgemental statements that potentially label the victim as a liar and can lead to maltreatment and secondary victimization of the victim of sexual assault as a patient. This paper describes the victims' experiences and related behaviours during the first week following trauma. It further explains neurological response by tapping into the brain and body reactions to sexual assault trauma as described by Campbell et all, 2011. Implications and guidelines for caring for victims during the first week are discussed. A grounded theory approach was used to conduct a longitudinal qualitative study of the victims of sexual violence immediately following the incident of sexual assault to the end of sic months thereafter. The purpose was to discover the process of recovery from sexual assault trauma as experienced and described by the victims. Ten women participated through a series of in-depth interviews. Strauss and Cobin's (1994) grounded theory data analysis methods were used to for data analysis and discovery of the theory of recovery from sexual assault trauma, with the following concepts: Mental paralysis, Awakening, Pragmatic Acceptance, Turning point, Reclaiming what was lost, Defining own landmarks for healing and returning to self. The presentation will focus on the two concepts of the theory of recovery from sexual assault trauma i.e. mental paralysis and awakening because these are the initial responses and behaviours that are often expressed by patients and observed by nurse practitioners when the victims of sexual assault first present for forensic medical care. The purpose of this paper is to provide nurse practitioners with the neurological explanation of the sexual assault victims' behaviours during the first week following sexual assault trauma by tapping into the brain and body reactions to sexual assault trauma in order to assist nurse practitioners with knowledge to influence positive clinical outcomes for the sexual assault victims as patients.