National survey of abuse reports by pediatric nurses in medical institutions

Abstract

 This study aims to determine nurses’ trust in their knowledge, judgment, and response to child abuse detection, reporting, and cooperation. A total of 1,634 nurses from 99 hospitals and wards with 300 or more beds across the country agreed to take part in the survey. They were assigned to work in pediatric outpatient clinics, pediatric wards, emergency outpatient departments, and emergency wards. The survey was conducted using self-created questionnaires. Out of the 710 people who responded (response rate: 43%), 630 valid responses were analyzed (valid response rate: 39%). The findings demonstrated a lack of confidence in their knowledge, judgment, and response to social resources and sexual abuse. In addition, approximately 30% respondents answered “I do not know” when it came to items related to psychiatric symptoms. These findings highlight the importance of including knowledge and judgment about sexual abuse and social resources available to families, in training content to encourage action by nurses who collaborate with other agencies and professions.