When we are speaking of a nurse that went through abusive relationships, we have to understand that the damage done by the latter cannot be perceived either subjectively or one-sidedly. Therefore, it is safe to say that there are both positive and negative effects that can impact one’s practice. First, abusive relationships may affect a nurse on a psychological level. In other words, they will be able to establish a vivid personal connection with the victim (Glembocki & Fitzpatrick, 2013).
On a long-term scale, this will help the nurse to create an environment that welcomes interpersonal communication. Also, this will lead to the development of patient-centered care and help the nurse to emphasize the strong sides of their patient. Second, there may be a practical effect of previous abusive relationships on current nursing practice. In real life, nurses may provide advice regarding the process of overcoming the ordeal (Persily, 2014).
To conclude, such nurses may have better chances of being compassionate and understanding the essentials of the trauma because they went through similar issues. Evidently, this will positively affect the quality of care and ensure that the correct treatment practice is applied. Nonetheless, we also have to take into consideration a number of negative effects that cannot be eradicated (Persily, 2014).
First of all, there is a high chance of communicative issues based on the nurse’s memories regarding her own abuse experience. Second, the nurse may be uncompassionate towards the patient because the latter was not able to overcome her issues while the nurse did (Glembocki & Fitzpatrick, 2013). Being detached from the victim is one of the most common reasons for the inability to provide high-quality care within any given healthcare environment.
References
Glembocki, M. M., & Fitzpatrick, J. J. (2013). Advancing professional nursing practice: Relationship-based care and the ANA standards of professional nursing practice. Minneapolis, MN: Creative Health Care Management.
Persily, C. (2014). Team leadership and partnering in nursing and health care. New York, NY: Springer.