ABSTRACT
Nurses and midwives can be instrumental to global efforts to address child abuse and neglect through a public health approach of prevention and early intervention. However, there is limited understanding of nurses' and midwives' roles, and no international or local guidelines to inform and evaluate their safeguarding practices. The aim of this modified Delphi study was to build consensus on the nature and scope of nursing and midwifery practice in safeguarding children in Australia. Sixty-four statements located within seven clusters were developed from a literature review and nursing and midwifery practice standards. Participants (N = 102) were nurses and midwives working with children in diverse contexts. They were asked to indicate the importance of each statement to their practice setting. Consensus (80%) was achieved on all statements in Round Two. Findings highlight that participating nurses and midwives agreed safeguarding children is a core component of their practice in diverse child-focussed settings. Findings can inform ongoing discussions about development of nursing and midwifery practice standards and guide effective workforce preparation, education, support and resourcing. Further research about ongoing development of nursing and midwifery roles in safeguarding children is essential to explore how to most effectively mobilise these professions to prevent child abuse and neglect.
ABSTRACT
AIM: To identify nurses' role and experiences of keeping children safe. BACKGROUND: Approaches to preventing, identifying and responding to child abuse and neglect have moved towards a multidisciplinary approach where all professionals are expected to contribute to the goal of keeping children safe. Frequently in contact with children and families, nurses well positioned to contribute to keeping children safe from abuse and neglect. Much has been published around nurses' experiences of their role in keeping children safe, but this literature has not yet been synthesized to determine the challenges and potential scope of this role. DESIGN: Integrative review following an Integrative Review framework. DATA SOURCES: Studies were identified through a search of the electronic databases CINAHL, Medline, Web of Science, Scopus and Informit to identify literature published between 2005-2015. REVIEW METHODS: All the studies were critically appraised for methodological quality using the Critical Skills Appraisal Programme. Data from each study were extracted and categorized according to the review aims and the study's major findings. RESULTS: Inclusion criteria were met in 60 studies. Three main findings were identified including nurses' insufficient knowledge, need for validation and improved communication and balancing surveillance and support for vulnerable families. CONCLUSIONS: Nurses have many roles and experiences in keeping children safe but often felt they did not have the knowledge, skills and support to take action in this area. Further research is needed to understand why nurses feel inadequate and disempowered to advocate and intervene on the behalf of children at risk of abuse or neglect.
Subject(s)
Child Abuse/prevention & control , Nurse's Role , Child , Child Welfare , Clinical Competence/standards , Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice , Humans , Mandatory Reporting , Nurses, Pediatric/standards , Pediatric Nursing/standardsABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: The hospitalisation of a child is a stressful event for parents. Parents who are also nurses may face additional challenges not encountered by other parents; yet, scant attention has been given to this issue in the literature. AIM: To explore the experiences of Nurse-Parents whose children were hospitalised for acute illnesses. METHODS/DESIGN: Using a case-study design, semi-structured interviews were conducted with six registered nurses and thematically analysed. RESULTS/FINDINGS: Nurse-Parents experienced significant conflicts between their parental role and nurse persona as they were 'torn between dual roles'. Nurse-Parents' specialised knowledge prompted them to elevate the care their child needed, leading to increased stress and anxiety as they struggled to balance these roles. CONCLUSION: Nurse-Parents want and need a different type of input into their children's care than non-nurse-parents. An increased awareness among healthcare professionals is the first step to ensuring that effective and individualised support is provided to Nurse-Parents.
