| Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify and explore the barriers that exist in the
screening process for intimate partner violence (IPV) among females from rural religiously strict
microcultures of the United States (US).
Background: IPV prevalence is so significant that the US Department of Health and Human
Services selected IPV reduction as a Healthy People 2030 goal. Females from rural religiously
strict microcultures have inherent barriers that exist when screening for IPV and rural
communities in the US have higher populations of strict religious backgrounds that shelter
abusers within their power-imbalanced microcultures. Existing research behind the barriers to
healthcare professional’s IPV screening of this population is lacking. The nursing theory Myra
Levine’s Conservation Model, with the principles of adaptation, intervention for the protection of
the patient, and the conservation of energy for the patient to return to a homeostasis of health,
was used as a framework for this research.
Methods: Voluntary purposeful sampling with subsequent snowball sampling was employed in
this qualitative study. Due to the sensitive nature of the subject matter, anonymous data was
collected utilizing Qualtrics. ATLAS.ti was used in data analysis.
Results: The most significant microcultural norms reported to hinder accurate IPV screening
included patriarchal teachings, gender discrimination, and the propensity for microcultural
churches to shelter abusers within their community and congregation.
Discussion: Nurses should incorporate microcultural awareness, cultural humility, adequate
patient IPV education, therapeutic communication, and trust into their nursing practice screening
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for IPV. This will assist in greater accuracy when screening for IPV among this vulnerable
population.
Keywords: Domestic Violence, Fundamentalist, Healthcare Screening, Intimate Partner Violence,
Nursing, Religion |