Developing hospital-based domestic violence programs, protocols, policies, and procedures.

Interest in developing hospital-based domestic violence programs, protocols, policies, and procedures is growing secondary to efforts by national nursing, medical, and hospital accreditation organizations. Creating specialized health services for domestic violence survivors can be expedited by reviewing existing protocols, policies, and procedures. A reference list of sample domestic violence protocols and a sample domestic violence policy and procedure are provided. The authors share their experiences in developing two of the nation's eight hospital-based domestic violence programs. Domestic violence is a nursing concern, and nurses have been the leaders in providing perinatal and women's health services to battered women. Implementing the suggestions contained in this article will enhance hospitals' successful compliance with the 1992 Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations guidelines for emergency and ambulatory services departments. The need for preprogram data collection, multidisciplinary support, patient and staff safety, specific program services, and staff supervision is addressed.