title: Nonaccidental trauma: guidance for nurses in the pediatric intensive care unit.
abstract: Each year thousands of children are hospitalized for traumatic injuries associated with physical abuse. Nurses in the pediatric intensive care unit must be knowledgeable and skilled in caring for the physical, psychological, emotional, social, and developmental needs of such children and their families. This article provides direction for pediatric nurses working in the critical care setting. Specifically, it describes the nursing care of children in a pediatric intensive care unit where the mechanism of nonaccidental injury is blunt force to the head, abdomen, or musculoskeletal system, based on standards put forth by the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nursing Professional Practice, Bronson Children's Hospital, 601 John Street, Kalamazoo, MI 49007, USA. Electronic address: moyerd@bronsonhg.org.
authors.forename: Donna L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Moyer
authors.affiliation: Department of Education Services, Bronson Children's Hospital, 601 John Street, Kalamazoo, MI 49007, USA.
authors.forename: Jennifer M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Carpenter
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, Bronson Children's Hospital, 601 John Street, Kalamazoo, MI 49007, USA.
authors.forename: Margaret A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Landon
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, Bronson Children's Hospital, 601 John Street, Kalamazoo, MI 49007, USA.
authors.forename: Dorothy T
authors.initials: DT
authors.lastname: Mack
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, Bronson Children's Hospital, 601 John Street, Kalamazoo, MI 49007, USA.
authors.forename: Jennifer L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Kenyon
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, Bronson Children's Hospital, 601 John Street, Kalamazoo, MI 49007, USA.
authors.forename: Samara A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Champion
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002649:Child Abuse; D003422:Critical Care / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D015278:Intensive Care Units, Pediatric; D010371:Pediatric Nursing / Q000379:methods*; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000451:nursing
keywords: Child abuse; Critical care; Critical care nursing; Nonaccidental trauma; Pediatric nursing; Physical abuse