Paediatric nurses' identification of violence against children.
OBJECTIVE
This paper is a report of an evaluation of paediatric nurses' assessment and diagnostic skills and interventions used for child maltreatment.


BACKGROUND
The use of violence against children occurs in all environments worldwide. Therefore, broader theoretical and practical knowledge related to this issue is needed in health care to facilitate more accurate identification of child maltreatment in order to instigate implementation of appropriate care for these children.


METHODS
The study was based on cross-sectional data obtained with a convenience sample of 160 Registered Nurses employed at paediatric wards at two large cities in Poland (response rate 80%). Data collection took place between December 2005 and March 2006. The research tool was a questionnaire form designed on the basis of international literature concerning battered child syndrome.


RESULTS
Battered child syndrome seems to be a relatively common phenomenon, as a great majority of participants (86·25%) had encountered it in their practice. The form of child maltreatment which was most often mentioned (by 30·00% of participants) was neglect. Almost three-quarters of the nurses (61·25%; n = 98) said that they had been involved in providing care for a maltreated child.


CONCLUSIONS
Nurses should work with maltreated children on an individualized basis, combined with interdisciplinary cooperation with specialists from related disciplines concerned with the issue. There appears to be a need for specialized training for nurses to increase their competence in working with maltreated children and their families.
Faculty of Nursing and Health Sciences, Medical University of Lublin, Poland.
Małgorzata
M
Pabiś
Irena
I
Wrońska
Barbara
B
Slusarska
Tomasz
T
Cuber
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002649:Child Abuse / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data / Q000628:therapy; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006776:Hospitals, Pediatric / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020380:Needs Assessment; D009730:Nursing Assessment / Q000592:standards*; D015403:Nursing Evaluation Research; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D010371:Pediatric Nursing; D011044:Poland / Q000453:epidemiology; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000451:nursing*; D055815:Young Adult