BAY MINETTE, Ala. – Faulkner State Community College's nursing division brought home an international first place award for its video “Shattered,” which seeks to raise awareness about the dangers and prevalence domestic violence.

Members of the nursing division traveled to San Francisco, Calif. to accept the award and perform their original script live at the 2013 Human Patient Simulator Network (HPSN) conference. The video was created using the iStan human simulator, a lifelike tool that helps nursing students practice a variety of tasks.

In the video, which was filmed in front of an audience at the college, a man is shown stabbing his wife. She calls 911, and nursing students work to save her life (in the hospital scene, the woman is actually the iStan human simulator).

“We made the simulator look really good,” said Katrina Allen, nursing instructor. “And it gave the students exposure to practice resuscitation and a lot of other skills — we did everything by the book during the performance.”

At the end of the video, the woman dies, and her family is shown grieving. At the live performance, nursing students presented silent witnesses — real people who have lost their lives to domestic violence — and counselors and information about getting help were available.

“The silent witnesses were very powerful,” Allen said. “It is really is very moving for people to see and read about actual people who have been in this situation.”

Joan Sulzmann, economic justice and prevention projects coordinator with the Alabama Coalition Against Domestic Violence, attended the live performance at Faulkner and said she was amazed at the authenticity and maturity of the students.

“I thought it was very powerful for raising awareness as well as for someone who may be a victim who may be able to identify,” Sulzmann said. “I thought they were very effective in holding the abuser accountable, which is where we need to be putting our focus. It's not the victim's fault.”

Allen said she had several people from other colleges approach her at the conference about using the script for live performances to raise awareness on their own campuses. She gladly provided them with what they needed to reproduce the play.

“We'd love to see this go around the country and raise awareness,” says Ben Hughes, a senior in the nursing program who worked on the video and went to the conference. “If it makes a difference in one person's life, it's worth it.” 

Are you a victim of domestic violence or know someone who might be?

“It's terrifying, but it's important to know there is help and there is somewhere to turn,” Sulzmann says. “And if you know someone who is a victim, it's important to believe her, listen and don't intervene — instead, let her know about our hotline number, local programs and shelters.”

Call the Alabama Coalition Against Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-650-6522 if you need help. The most important thing to remember is it is not your fault. No one deserves abuse.

“There are a lot of times people won't go to the hospital and won't file charges, so it'll continue to happen,” Allen says. “Get help early. Reach out to somebody.”

Local resources

Penelope House: A local shelter that provides safety, protection and support to victims of domestic violence and their children. 24-hour crisis hotline: 251-342-8994. Website: PenelopeHouse.org.

The Lighthouse: Provides 24-hour domestic violence and sexual assault crisis response, counseling, case management, safe shelter, transitional housing and legal advocacy to Escambia and Baldwin counties. 24-hour crisis hotline: 251-947-6008 or 1-800-650-6552. The shelter is open at all times. For complete information about the Lighthouse's services, visit Abeacon.org.