The level of knowledge of nurses about shaken baby syndrome

Shaken Baby Syndrome (SBS) is seen especially in children under the age of one and is a sub-dimension of physical abuse that can be seen up to the age of five and is a well-known issue in our country. One of the most important risk factors is the baby's crying. It occurs when the caregiver holds the baby by the upper body and shakes it during intense crying, causing irreversible damage. Nurses, who play an active role in all stages of preventive and therapeutic health services, are in a key position during and after the treatment process. In this context, nurses must fulfill their responsibilities in the detection, treatment process and reporting of abuse cases in line with their professional knowledge and ethical values. This study aimed to determine nurses' knowledge levels regarding SBS. This study, which is descriptive and cross-sectional, was conducted between August and September 2023 at the Republic of Turkey Ministry of Health Hitit University Çorum Erol Olçok Training and Research Hospital; It was conducted with 88 pediatric nurses working in the pediatric emergency department, pediatric intensive care unit, neonatal intensive care unit and pediatric wards, who met the sample selection criteria and agreed to participate in the study. Data were collected with the "Introductory Characteristics Form for Nurses" and the "Nurses' Knowledge Level Assessment Form about Shaken Baby Syndrome". The form consists of 15 questions and three sections. People who answered all questions correctly were evaluated out of 100 points. SPSS package program was used in statistical analysis and appropriate statistical evaluations were made. It was observed that 82.95% of the nurses participating in the study had heard of SBS, but 46.59% had not received any training on SBS. It was determined that the success rate of nurses' total knowledge of SBS was above average with 78.33%. It was determined that the difference between the average scores of the nurses in the study regarding their knowledge of SBS according to their education level, whether they had heard of SBS before, and whether they knew about the existence of a procedure for abuse cases in the institution they worked in, was significant (p <0.05). As a result, the knowledge level of the nurses participating in the study regarding SBS is above average, but not at the desired level. It is recommended that nurses be given in-service training in the light of current information.