Leave-taking experiences in the lives of abused women.

The World Health Organization identifies domestic violence as a major health crisis confronting women across the globe. The addition of women's voices about their abusive experiences increases understandings of domestic violence. In this phenomenological investigation of the coping strategies of abused women, 17 women provided meaningful insights into how, why, and when they left abusive relationships. Timing, selection of support systems, and intuition add new descriptions about abused women's leave-taking experiences. Implications for nursing practice include the use of helpful questioning and employment of the advocacy role. Based on thefindings of this study, more research is called for that allows abused women to demonstrate the variety of their experiences with the leave-taking process.