Citation

Lines LE, Hutton A, Grant J. Child Abuse Rev. 2021; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2021, John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Child abuse and neglect is a complex problem that needs to be addressed through a multi-disciplinary approach. Nurses internationally have frequent contact with children and are ideally placed to respond to children experiencing abuse and neglect. Nurses' roles can include reporting abuse to child protection services (CPS). This paper reports on one aspect of the findings of a qualitative study exploring Australian nurses' perceptions and experiences of keeping children safe from abuse. Specifically, this paper reports on the theme relating to nurses' experiences of communicating their concerns to CPS and the family. This qualitative study was underpinned by social constructionism with data collected through semi-structured interviews with 21 nurses working with children in Australia. Key findings reported are: 1) 'being heard', 2) 'disappointed, discouraged and disenfranchised' and 3) 'managing tensions between engagement and reporting.' Nurses at times perceived they were not taken seriously by CPS and felt powerless to enact change for children. Nurses subsequently had to decide how and if to discuss their report with families to mitigate negative reactions and maintain engagement. This study highlights the need for more effective multi-disciplinary collaboration between nurses and CPS to promote change for children affected by abuse in Australia.

Language: en