# Situation: A public health nurse at a Rural Health Unit (RHU) provides prenatal and postpartum care. She works with barangay health workers (BHWs) and barangay nutrition scholars. A woman at 28 weeks' gestation has bruises on both upper arms and says her partner hit her last night. She is stable, and the fetal heart rate is normal. Under the Anti-Violence Against Women and Their Children Act (RA 9262), which action is a duty of the nurse as a health care provider?

> source: MyMerci (mymerci.kr)  
> url: https://mymerci.kr/pages/nclex_q.php?qn_id=629608  
> language: ko  
> subject: Nursing Practice II — Maternal and Child Health Nursing

## 문제

Situation: A public health nurse at a Rural Health Unit (RHU) provides prenatal and postpartum care. She works with barangay health workers (BHWs) and barangay nutrition scholars.

A woman at 28 weeks' gestation has bruises on both upper arms and says her partner hit her last night. She is stable, and the fetal heart rate is normal. Under the Anti-Violence Against Women and Their Children Act (RA 9262), which action is a duty of the nurse as a health care provider?

## 보기

1. Report the partner to the police at once, even if she asks the nurse not to
2. Issue a medical certificate only when the police or a court requests one
3. Record her injuries and her account, and tell her of her rights and services **✔ 정답**
4. Invite the partner to a joint session so that the couple can settle the matter

**정답: 3**

## 해설

RA 9262 requires any health care provider, including a nurse, who suspects abuse or is told of it to document the injuries and observations, give the woman a medical certificate free of charge, safeguard the records, and inform her of her rights, remedies, and available services. The Act does not list reporting the partner to the police as a duty of the provider, and joint sessions with the abuser can put her at risk.

## 심화 해설

The duty of the health care provider
The Anti-Violence Against Women and Their Children Act of 2004 (RA 9262) sets out specific duties for any health care provider, including a nurse, who suspects abuse or is told of it. The provider must document the injuries and observations, give the woman a medical certificate free of charge, safeguard the records, and inform her of her rights, remedies, and available services. Recording her injuries and her account and telling her of her rights and services fulfills the nurse's duties under RA 9262.

Why documentation matters
Careful documentation creates an objective record that may later support a protection order or a criminal case. The nurse records the location, size, color, and shape of the bruises, the woman's own words about what happened, the date and time, and any other observations. The records are kept confidential and secure. Because the woman is pregnant, the nurse also notes the fetal heart rate and her obstetric status, since violence during pregnancy carries risks for both mother and baby.

Why the other options are wrong
Reporting the partner to the police at once, even against her wishes, is not listed as a duty of health care providers under the Act; the listed duties are documentation, the free medical certificate, safeguarding records, and informing her of rights and services. Issuing a medical certificate only when the police or a court asks for it is wrong because the law requires the provider to give it to the victim free of charge. Inviting the partner to a joint session so that the couple can settle the matter can put her at greater risk and is not a duty under the law. Watch out! Mediation or couple counseling is generally inappropriate in situations of violence, because the abuser holds power over the victim.

| Duty of the health care provider under RA 9262 |
| --- |
| Document the injuries and observations |
| Give a free medical certificate |
| Safeguard the records |
| Inform her of her rights, remedies, and available services |

Supporting her safety
Beyond these legal duties, the nurse assesses her immediate safety, asks whether she has a safe place to go, and explains services such as the Barangay Protection Order, the Women and Children Protection Unit, and social welfare services. The nurse respects her decisions, does not blame her, and plans follow-up at her next prenatal visit.

Exam takeaway
Under RA 9262, health care providers document, give a free medical certificate, safeguard records, and inform the woman of her rights and services. Key point! The nurse empowers the woman to decide on reporting; the provider's role is documentation, certification, and information, not mediation.

## 임상 시나리오

Violence Against a Pregnant WomanHealth provider duties under RA 9262
Document the injuries, observations, and her own account, with date and time, and safeguard the records.

Give her a medical certificate free of charge and inform her of her rights, remedies, and available services.

Assess her immediate safety, check fetal well-being, and plan follow-up at the next prenatal visit.

CautionDo not arrange a joint session with the partner, and do not withhold the medical certificate until the police or a court requests it.

## 핵심 개념

- **RA 9262** — The Anti-Violence Against Women and Their Children Act of 2004, which defines abuse and sets duties and remedies.
- **Medical certificate** — A written medical record of injuries that the provider must give the abused woman free of charge.
- **Protection order** — A legal order that prevents an abuser from further harming or contacting the victim.
- **Intimate partner violence** — Physical, sexual, psychological, or economic abuse by a current or former partner.

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