Nurses can help to mitigate homicide risk during pregnancy

Nurses can take steps to mitigate a frequent cause of death in pregnant women ─ homicide ─ most often by an intimate partner, according to a May article in the American Journal of Nursing. Nurses who suspect a person is being abused can use a nonjudgmental and caring approach to ask if the patient is okay. Nurses can provide resources to patients, such as contact information for the local domestic violence hotline and shelter, and help them to develop a safety plan. Nurses should screen for intimate partner violence at the first prenatal visit, once every trimester, and at the postpartum visit. They can do a lethality assessment with a patient who discloses abuse. Nurses also can advocate for laws restricting gun possession for IPV perpetrators.