Nursing and Midwifery Students' Attitudes towards Violence against Women and Recognizing Signs of Violence against Women

Introduction: The ability of midwives and nurses to manage violence, to recognize its signs and to recognize the needs of individuals is influenced by their knowledge, attitudes and beliefs. Objective: The aim of this study is to examine the attitudes of midwifery and nursing students' towards violence against women and their recognition of the signs of violence. Methodology: The sample of this descriptive study consisted of 750 undergraduate students studying in the midwifery and nursing department of a university. Data were collected using Personal Information Form, the Scale for Attitudes toward Violence (SATV) and Ability of Nurses and Midwives to Recognize the Signs of ViolenceAgainst Women Scale (NMRVAWS). Results: According to the total mean score of SATV (39.93±11.08), students had non-traditional and contemporary attitudes towards violence. The average score of NMRVAWS was above the average (18.11±3.18). It was determined that midwifery students adopted more contemporary views on attitudes towards violence than nursing students (t=-3.704, p=0.000). A statistically significant negative correlation was found between SATV and total mean scores of NMRVAWS (r=-0.227, p=0.000), recognition of physical (r =-0.143; p=0.000), emotional signs (r =-0.210; p=0.000). Conclusion: Students have a contemporary attitude towards violence against women and can recognize signs of violence "partially sufficient". As the traditional attitude towards violence increases, the recognition of the signs of violence decreases. The results of this study emphasize the importance of addressing violence and signs in undergraduate education.