Background to Research Partnerships
Longstanding reciprocal relationships and commitment
among researchers and the New Brunswick health policy and domestic violence sectors
facilitated the partnerships vital to this intervention
research. Merritt-Gray took part in an intersectoral working
group, coordinated by Dubé, to develop a strategic provincial
framework to address violence against women
(MWGVAW, 2001, 2005Minister’s Working Group on Violence
against Women, 2001, 2005). A key element of the
framework was the establishment of community-based outreach
programs province-wide, to provide women with
safety planning, emotional support, life-skill training and
connection to resources. Nonetheless, the health consequences
of violence remained a key source of intrusion for
women and raised questions regarding how health care
professionals, including RNs, might work with domestic violence outreach
workers to address women’s health.