New tool helps health-care providers ID domestic violence

A new presentation package, the second edition of the Universal Screening for Domestic Violence, will improve clinicians' ability to identify, treat, and assist battered women, according to its maker, the Association of Women's Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN).

The package consists of CD-ROMs, a slide presentation with script, an abuse screening tool in English and Spanish, a danger assessment tool, and a list of resources. Topics include: types of abuse, the cycle of abuse, why women stay in abusive relationships, the physical and psychological effects of domestic violence, state mandatory reporting laws, creating the right environment for screening, and the impact of abuse on pregnant women and on children who witness it.

The package can be ordered online from AWHONN's Web site at www.awhonn.org in the continuing education section of the online store. The cost is $30 for AWHONN members and $40 for nonmembers.