Real lifesavers

As my loyal readers may know, my husband is a scribe in a local emergency department, the chief scribe to be exact. But before that, he worked as a nationally registered emergency medical technician. Although he isn't working on a squad anymore, Taylor still reads a lot of EMS blogs and keeps up with the latest information from the field.

A few days ago, Taylor came across this article that he rightly assumed I would like: "Utah Medics Offer Domestic Violence Support." The article shares the account of a woman who credits the paramedic first responders in her community for helping her take the first steps in leaving her abusive relationship.

So often we think of domestic violence as a social work-y thing, that only people in "social services" will ever have to really deal with that kind of thing. The reality is that survivors of domestic violence will come into direct contact with many different professionals, each having an impact on her health and well-being as she works to regain control of her life. If the paramedics or ER staff had been judgmental of her situation, she might not have been comfortable leaving the relationship or seeking help in the future.

One thing we advocates know is that women will leave their abuser an average of 7 times before they leave for good. There are a variety of reasons why women go back to their abusers, but lack of empathy or support from medical professionals should not be one of them. First responders must combine training in social issues and medical knowledge when administering services. The article states "44 percent of victims killed nationwide in a domestic-violence related homicide had visited an emergency department within the two years preceding death." That statistic is indicative of the tremendous responsibility emergency service providers have in properly responding to the needs of the whole person, not just the cut lip or the fractured arm that the patient may initially present with.

Social workers, counselors, advocates, law enforcement, and medical personnel must collaborate to effectively care for survivors of domestic violence. It is their combined diligence and support that will encourage survivors to take the steps best for them to maintain their health and safety.