How to Recognize and Respond to Suspected Child Abuse in the Emergency Department

ABSTRACT Child abuse is a very common incidence that many nurses and first responders may encounter and not have the expertise or training that should be required to identify and respond appropriately. Unfortunately, nurses cannot prevent the causes of child abuse, although they are at the forefront of assessing children in an emergency department, allowing them to have the chance to identify and respond to suspected child abuse which would mitigate the occurrences for the future of the children. After researching the topic of suspected child abuse and how to enhance the skills and abilities to safeguard children who may be experiencing any form of abuse, it was found that all hospitals are not required to have a protocol in place that states that nurses are required to have the training to be able to identify and respond to suspected child abuse. For child abuse to be so common in all areas of the world, we need more individuals with this training. Our goals within this project include providing vital health assessments to the children entering the emergency department and making it a priority for all staff, especially nurses, to attend training and obtain certification for suspected child abuse.