Assistant Professor, Department of Nursing, Chosun University, Korea. jinsun@chosun.ac.kr
Abstract
PURPOSES: The purposes of this study were to examine knowledge related to child abuse, attitudes toward child abuse, and intention to report child abuse and to identify the predictors of nurses' intention to report child abuse.
METHOD: A descriptive-correlational study was conducted.
Participants were 171 nurses who worked in the pediatric or emergency rooms in G city. Self-administered questionnaire was used for data collection. Descriptive statistics, t-test or ANOVA, Pearson correlation, and stepwise multiple regression analysis were used for data analysis.
RESULTS: Nurses had a limited knowledge related to child abuse. Nurses had negative attitudes toward child discipline, were inclined to punish the abuser, and had positive attitudes about professional responsibility for reporting child abuse. Nurses perceived difficulty in the actual behavior of reporting child abuse. Nurses' intention to report child abuse was predicted by nurses' attitudes to professional responsibility for reporting child abuse.
CONCLUSIONS: Based on the findings of this study, educational programs need to be developed, implemented, and evaluated. The conclusion of this study is that supplementary education is needed for multidisciplinary decision making concerning the role of the nurses within the context of child abuse.Implications for nursing practice, education and research are discussed.
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