Reporting Abuse

A nurse’s identity should not be revealed to the accused or the public, and they should
not be sanctioned if the abuse turns false since they are reporting in good faith. Nurses are
required to report any abuse or neglect whether or not on duty; they are morally obligated to
report any suspicion of abuse. As a mandatory reporter, their identity should not be disclosed to
the accused, let alone the public (Muller & Fink-Samnick, 2015). Only the team investigating the
abuse can know their identity as they might need more information. However, a nurse would not
have to be available to the investigating team with proper report documentation. To manage the
responsibilities of a mandated reporter, a nursing career includes training on recognizing signs
and symptoms of abuse and reporting their suspicions promptly (Androus, 2018). They should,
however, be comprehensive in their assessment. To that end, they should report the abuse to a
nurse practitioner, physician, or physician assistant and, if necessary, their supervisor.
This training also emphasizes the importance of maintaining the mandated reporter’s
confidentiality. If the abuser is with the suspected victim, they should find a means to have a safe
room alone with the victim to probe further into their suspicion. A witness should be present
while examining for physical signs on the suspected victim to avoid any false or malicious report
(Androus, 2018). Every element of the patient’s statements, nonverbal behavior, and the
suspected abuser’s behavior should be documented. They should then immediately notify the
authorities.
Collecting concrete proof of child abuse can be difficult, and the nurse must make the
report in good faith as long as they suspect something. If a report of abuse turns out to be false,
nurses should be safeguarded at all costs and not penalized unless they were initially aware that

3
the abuse was fake. However, a nurse should not be punished if the report is made in good faith.
It is the authority’s responsibility to conduct additional investigations to prove the abuse, which
is not the function of a nurse in such instances.

4

References

Androus, A. B. (2018, July 13). What should a nurse do if they suspect a patient is a victim of
abuse? RegisteredNursing.org. https://www.registerednursing.org/articles/what-should-
nurse-do-suspect-patient-victim-abuse/
Muller, L. S., & Fink-Samnick, E. (2015). Mandatory Reporting Let’s Clear Up the
Confusion. Professional Case Management, 20(4), 199-
203. https://doi.org/10.1097/ncm.0000000000000102