Experience of nurse leaders in delivering care to youth victims of violence

Abstract

Violence continues to take its toll on post-apartheid South Africa and the youth remain the most affected group in many communities. Research has either dealt with violence in isolation, or the youth affected by violence. Very little is known about the nurse leaders delivering healthcare to youth victims of violence. This study sought to explore and describe the experiences of nurse leaders in delivering care to youth victims of violence at a community health centre in Khayelitsha. A qualitative, descriptive, and contextual design was used. The accessible population was professional nurses (N = 40) taking the lead in influencing victims of violence in the community to wellness. Nine individual unstructured interviews were conducted until data saturation was reached. The findings of this study showed that nurse leaders experienced challenges in terms of under-preparedness, staff shortages, work load, verbal abuse, as well as victim-related factors. Participants also expressed some rewarding experiences, such as increased personal awareness, personal empowerment, victim empowerment, and job satisfaction. The study recommended that in-service training should be conducted for newly-appointed staff members with the purpose of preparing them for the challenges and expectations in the field of violence amongst youth in the community.