Diagnosis levels of nurses and midwives working in a public children's hospital regarding symptoms and risks of child abuse and neglect

ABSTRACT DIAGNOSIS LEVELS OF NURSES AND MIDWIVES WORKING IN A PUBLIC CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL REGARDING SYMPTOMS AND RISKS OF CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT The study was conducted in a descriptive and cross-sectional fashion to determine the diagnosis levels of nurses and midwives working in a public children's hospital regarding symptoms and risks of child abuse and neglect. The study was conducted between 15.01.2023 and 31.08.2023 at Izmir S. B. U. Dr. Behçet Uz Children's Diseases and Surgery Training and Research Hospital. The study sample consisted of 500 nurses and midwives who accepted to participate in the study and fulfilled the inclusion criteria and were selected from all nurses and midwives working in Izmir S.B.U. Dr. Behçet Uz Children's Diseases and Surgery Training and Research Hospital. The study data were collected by using the "Introductory Data Form" and "Child Abuse and Neglect Symptoms and Risks Diagnosis Scale (CANSRDS)". The Student's t-test, ANOVA (post-hoc: Bonferroni) Test, Chi-Square Test and Correlation Analysis Tests were used in the statistical evaluation of the data. The total mean score of the nurses and midwives on the Child Abuse and Neglect Symptoms and Risks Diagnosis Scale (CANSRDS) was found to be 3.84±0.42, the highest mean score for the "Physical Symptoms of Abuse on the Child" sub-dimension was 3.98±0.38, the mean score for the "Behavioral Symptoms of Abuse and Neglect on the Child" sub-dimension was 3.91±0.40, the mean score for the "Symptoms of Neglect on the Child" sub-dimension was 3.91±0.66, the mean score for the "Characteristics of Parents Who Are Prone to Abuse and Neglect" sub-dimension was 3.62±0.66, the lowest mean score for the "Characteristics of Children Prone to Abuse and Neglect" sub-dimension was 3.52±0.64, and the mean score for the "Family Characteristics in Child Abuse and Neglect" sub-dimension was 3.91±0.62. According to the data, it was concluded that nurses and midwives had sufficient knowledge to diagnose the symptoms and risks of child abuse and neglect. It was found in the present study that the total mean scores of the nurses and midwives who had postgraduate degrees, who had worked in the profession and in a children's hospital for more than 10 years, who considered themselves sufficient to detect the symptoms in abused/neglected children, who had knowledge about the concept of forensic cases, and who had encountered a case/suspect of child abuse and neglect in their working lives were significantly higher than the other participants on the "Child Abuse and Neglect Symptoms and Risks Diagnosis Scale" (p<0.05). It is recommended that the symptoms and risks of child abuse and neglect be added to the undergraduate curricula as a compulsory lesson, and that the awareness and knowledge levels of working nurses and midwives be increased with regular in-service training activities on child abuse and neglect. Keywords: Child, midwife, nurse, neglect, abuse.