Understanding what shapes the priorities of women who are mothering in the context of intimate partner violence: A qualitative study.

AIM: To explore the priorities of women mothering children in the context of intimate partner violence and to understand what shapes those priorities. DESIGN: A qualitative study using interpretive description, informed by Feminist Intersectionality adhering to the COREQ guidelines. METHODS: Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data. DATA SOURCES: Dialogic, semi-structured interviews were conducted with a community sample of 20 adult Canadian women who were mothering dependent children (under 18 years) in the context of recent intimate partner violence from a current or former partner. RESULTS: Women's main priorities focused on their own and their children's well-being and creating stability related to housing and finances. Three themes identified: it's all about the kids; my safety…totally disregarded; and I have to take care of him. Multiple external factors (coercive control, structural inequities, assumptions about mothering) shape priorities and the tensions arising from competing priorities women felt compelled to address simultaneously. CONCLUSION: Priorities of women mothering in the context of intimate partner violence are complex, shaped not only by what they want but by the limited options available to them given constraints such as income, employment, housing and service responses. Coercive control, structural inequities and assumptions about mothering are important factors influencing mothers' priorities and experiences. Better understanding mothers' priorities can support better tailored policies, services and nursing practice. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING: Structural inequities that negatively impact health and well-being by limiting access to resources and the supports needed to enhance health can be better recognized and addressed through a trauma and violence informed care approach. IMPACT: This study addressed understanding the priorities of women mothering in the context of intimate partner violence. This research will impact women mothering in the context of intimate partner violence who receive care from nurses and other providers as well as those who provide care. REPORTING METHOD: This study adhered to relevant EQUATOR guidelines (the COREQ checklist). NO PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: The women who took part in the interviews for this study did not participate in the study design, analysis or manuscript preparation.

Formal nursing focused academic practice partnerships for advancing nursing research and scholarship: a scoping review protocol.

INTRODUCTION: This scoping review protocol will be used to map the evidence regarding structure and organization of formal nursing undergraduate focused academic practice partnerships in Canada and globally. DESIGN: This scoping review will adhere to guidance provided by Chapter 11 of the JBI Manual for Evidence Synthesis: Scoping Reviews guidelines and the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Scoping Review extension checklist. METHODS: Evidence will be eligible for inclusion if published in English, within the last 10 years, and available in full text. Databases will be searched for published literature and unpublished grey literature. DISCUSSION: This protocol provides guidance on conducting a scoping review on formal nursing undergraduate focused academic practice partnerships. The review will enhance understanding of the structure and organization of formal nursing undergraduate focused academic practice partnerships, informing the design and work of future partnerships. This protocol is registered in the Open Science Framework https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/JCTRM.

Mothering in the context of intimate partner violence: A feminist intersectional critique of the nursing literature.

AIMS: To describe how mothers and mothering in the context of IPV are conceptualized in the nursing research and practice literature with attention to underlying ideologies, biases and potential harms. DESIGN: Feminist intersectionality was used as a theoretical and analytic lens. DATA SOURCES: Articles published between 2000 and 2021 in the nursing literature, identified by searching Google Scholar, CINAHL, PubMed and Scopus databases, and conducting bibliographic reviews of published articles. REVIEW METHODS: Search terms included: intimate partner violence, domestic violence, parenting, mother and nursing. Initial screening resulted in inclusion of 98 papers for analysis. RESULTS: Four dominant ways of conceptualizing mothering in the context of IPV were identified: (1) IPV is conceptualized as a discrete acute event and/or crisis, (2) mothering is treated as a practice, (3) mothers are valued as vehicles for child health and well-being and (4) mothers are seen as vulnerable and 'at risk'. These narrow constructions are rooted in ideologies such as normative motherhood, deficit and grit/resilience and neoliberalism. Emerging shifts in the literature are providing an important counter-balance. CONCLUSION: Biases in nursing knowledge about mothering in the context of IPV may limit nursing's capacity to support the health of these women and their children. The integration of emerging perspectives that emphasize strengths and equity is critical in strengthening nursing knowledge and practice and in beginning to redress existing limitations and potential harms. IMPACT: This critique focused on higher-income countries of the Global North but raises fundamental questions that should be considered in other contexts. Applying broader conceptualizations of mothers, mothering and IPV to research and practice can help improve the quality of care available.

Predicting family health and well-being after separation from an abusive partner: role of coercive control, mother's depression and social support.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: Drawing on the Strengthening Capacity to Limit Intrusion theory, we tested whether intrusion (i.e. unwanted interference from coercive control, custody and access difficulties and mother's depressive symptoms) predicted family health and well-being after separation from an abusive partner/father, and whether social support moderated intrusion effects on family health and well-being. BACKGROUND: Experiences of coercive control and the negative consequences related to those experiences have been documented among women who have separated from an abusive partner. DESIGN: We conducted a secondary analysis of data from 154 adult, Canadian mothers of dependent children who had separated from an abusive partner and who participated in Wave 2 of the Women's Health Effects Study. METHODS: We used hierarchical multiple regression to test whether intrusion predicts family health and well-being as well as whether social support moderated this relationship. RESULTS: Families were found to experience considerable intrusion, yet their health and well-being was similar to population norms. Intrusion predicted 11·4% of the variance in family health and well-being, with mother's depressive symptoms as the only unique predictor. Social support accounted for an additional 9% of explained variance, but did not buffer intrusion effects on family health and well-being. CONCLUSIONS: Although women had been separated from their abusive partners for an average of 2·5 years, the majority continued to experience coercive control. On average, levels of social support and family functioning were relatively high, contrary to public and academic discourse. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: In working with these families postseparation, nurses should approach care from a strength-based perspective, and integrate tailored assessment and intervention options for women and families that address both depression and social support.