This study emphasised the nurses’ assistance practices and conceptions in order to understand how they perceive and live with all the complexity that underlies this phenomenon.

With the articulation of qualitative methods (interview) and quantitative (structured questionnaire), the study focused on a group of 78 nurses aged between 22 and 60 years (average: 40.15) being 61% women and experience either in the hospital or in primary health care.

We found that violence against women was perceived as a complex phenomenon and present, with strong socio-cultural, marked by abuse of power and disregard for human rights. We note also that nurses generally experience negative feelings associated with the aggressor, but also the victim. On his practice emphasizes the desire to help and, paradoxically, a strong sense of powerlessness. The lack of competence / training to effectively tackle the problem is also a reference, supplemented with special needs to progress in this area.

The evidence presented here should be taken into consideration by health professionals in a reorientation of care model in this area.