Emergency clinicians’ perceived self-efficacy in the care of intoxicated women victims of violence

•Participants reported low perceived self-efficacy in caring for this patient group.•Use of guidelines and tools can have a positive impact on perceived self-efficacy.•Better education/training can also have a positive impact on perceived self-efficacy.•Participants wanted more education/training and resources to care for this patient group. Previous research has identified perceived self-efficacy to be a vital component of clinicians’ positive attitudes towards caring for intoxicated patients and women who have been assaulted. To date, little is known about the perceived self-efficacy and influences among emergency clinicians towards intoxicated women victims of violence. Using mixed methods, 179 emergency clinicians were surveyed and 22 emergency clinicians were interviewed in South Australia about their education/training, their awareness and use of best practice guidelines and tools, and their perceived self-efficacy toward treating intoxicated women victims of violence. There were statistically significant relationships between use of best practice tools (n = 32) and knowledge (χ2 = 6.52; p = .02) and confidence (χ2 = 6.52; p = .02) treating women victims of violence. There were also statistically significant relationships between previous alcohol and other drug education/training and knowledge (n = 43), skills and confidence treating both intoxicated patients (χ2 = 7.85; p = .01) and women victims of violence (χ2 = 11.63; p