Intimate partner violence: continuing education for registered nurses.

Intimate partner violence, also known as domestic violence, is a leading health problem affecting approximately 50% of women during the course of their lifetime. A large percentage of the abusers also abuse their children and older adults. Nurses are in a key position to identify and intervene with victims of abuse. However, a major barrier to screening and referral is lack of education. Nurses indicate a lack of education in their formal undergraduate and graduate programs. Therefore, nurses should be introduced to this topic through a 2-hour continuing education program.