Nursing care provided at medical institutions to female victims immediately after a sexual assault incident: A qualitative descriptive study

AIM: To clarify the content of nursing care provided to sexually assaulted females when they present at a medical institution immediately after the assault. DESIGN: Qualitative descriptive study. METHODS: Individual semi‐structured interviews were conducted with 20 female nurses and midwives affiliated with medical institutions collaborating with the one‐stop Support Center for sexual violence victims. Data were analysed using content analysis. RESULTS: The study identified five forms of nursing care: providing safety and reassurance, supporting smooth physical exams, building trusting relationships, supporting the recovery of emotional/physical health and dignity, and ensuring continuity of support. There were three types of institutional systems in victim care: (a) male doctors are sometimes involved in care, (b) female doctors provide care with nursing supervisors, and (c) female doctors take the lead to provide care. Nursing care content extracted in this study was influenced by the structure of the medical institution with which the nurses were affiliated.