Managing Maternal and Child Health nurses undertaking family violence work in Australia: a qualitative study.

Aim: To explore the experience of nurse managers managing Maternal and Child Health nurses undertaking family violence work in Victoria, Australia. Background: Health care practitioners' ability to address violence against women is strengthened by health service systems that include effective staff management and leadership (García-Moreno et al., 2015). Maternal and Child Health nurses work with women experiencing abuse; however, their support by the health system and their managers has not been examined. Method: Semi-structured interviews with 12 nurse managers in 2019-2020 explored how they supervised and managed nurses. The data were analysed using Reflexive Thematic Analysis. Results: We identified three themes - a) managing the service: being resourceful; b) supporting nurses' emotional safety; c) hitting the ground running: the demands on the manager. Conclusion: Inadequate support for nurse managers undermines workplace well-being and role satisfaction, impacting the safety and supervision of nurses doing family violence work. Implications for nursing management: An integrated family violence systems approach must include improved training and support for nurse managers to enable reflective practice and ensure effective support for nurses working with women experiencing abuse.