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Book Review
Advances in Contemporary Nursing and Interpersonal Violence
Anne McMurray and Debra Jackson (eds)
ISBN: 978-0-975043-66-0 2006 156 pages eContent Management, Maleny QLD
Judy Lumby
Professor, Executive Director, The College of Nursing, Burwood NSW
This special issue of Contemporary Nurse addresses a topic that not only dominates contemporary media and political discourse but also professional practice. Nurses deal with violence daily in all of its aspects as they manage an increasing level of violence from patients and families and care for those admitted as result of physical or emotional assault in their private lives.
The framework of this special issue facilitates the reader's journey through the varied articles. From a comprehensive preface by Anne McMurray to an Epilogue that focuses us all on how we can respond to violence, this issue covers most aspects of violence. The contents are categorised into three main sections including intimate partner violence, workplace violence and contemporary perspectives on health and violence. The articles in each section include opinion pieces, research reports and narratives, making the edition very easy to read as well as rich in content.
The styles of the contributors and the variety of approaches to investigation and analysis make the whole issue interesting as well as instructive. Elaine Deitsch's article on women who have an abnormal cervical screening result utilises a phenomenological approach while the pilot study of child-mother violence in an area health service uses a survey and Delphi technique to investigate a subject rarely scrutinised. In between there are opinion pieces on ‘screening for violence', ‘keeping nurses safe' and ‘aggression in nursing', all well-researched and extremely informative.
Colin Holmes and Kim Walker both present well-reasoned and well-researched treatise on key contemporary debates. Colin Holmes addresses the issue of zero tolerance while Kim Walker explores terrorism as a strategic manipulative device used to undermine the Western way of life. Indeed, as I read this, I could see how the framework of his argument could apply across the board from terrorism on the global stage, to that which subversively undermines local areas in which we all might work.
The article on domestic violence, health and health care, provides insights into how women perceive they are evaluated when they present to health professionals. They sometimes feel judged and even discriminated against, resulting in them feeling unworthy of care. The women in this study wanted health professionals who were not judgmental and who treated them with respect. One of the major impediments to effective care appears to be the way in which current services medicalise all presentations expecting them to follow a predictable pathway. Yet, for these women, the pathways are more often unpredictable leaving them feeling helpless and hopeless. This article is particularly concerning given the increase in domestic violence or at least the increase in reporting of domestic violence and the long term effects of such violence on families and the one who is abused.
An article towards the end of the issue reports on the way nurses understand domestic violence thus providing the mirror image of the above study. This later article, which is part of a doctoral study, examines how nurses understand and treat women who are abused. This grounded theory study is cross-cultural, investigating how Japanese and Australian nurses interpret domestic violence. While nurses in Australia follow set protocols and procedures, the restraint for Japanese nurses is the traditional belief system in which their culture views a woman who transgresses in a marriage as deserving of a degree of abusive behaviour such as a ‘slap'.
The preliminary findings of a national study of bullying in the nursing workplace are presented in another article. These early findings report the more qualitative aspects of the study reflecting the way in which bullies are supported through informal organisational networks allowing them to continue their ‘ritual indoctrination'. Ultimately, this study, which is supported by an ARC grant, may offer ways forward in managing workplace bullying to ensure it is not tolerated in our health facilities or indeed anywhere.
What follows is a well-analysed literature review by Sandra Speedy, which investigates aspects of workplace violence such as gender and financial costs to the organisation. The next piece continues the theme of workplace violence through an examination and discussion of theories of aggression and violence in relation to nursing and nurses. In this way, the reader explores a variety of propositions and constructions, raising the issue of whether we need new ways of making sense of contemporary expositions of aggression and violence towards nurses.
Congratulations to the editors for bringing together a cast of excellent writers to address so many aspects of the subject, utilising a range of styles, voices and approaches. While violence is a subject we would rather avoid, particularly in its ugliest domestic guise, this volume forces us to confront the reality of its everydayness and the need to deal with it more effectively.
I strongly recommend this Special Issue as a resource for teachers and students whatever the discipline, since violence is something we now live with daily in both our public and private lives. These articles may go some way in helping us to name it and therefore recognise, respond and resist it. The major restriction may be that this journal is mainly read by nurses when we need a wide spread of society, including politicians, to read, discuss and digest the powerful and rich material in this issue.
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