The Meaning of Child Abuse for Nurses in Taiwan

The purpose of this study was to explore nurses’ experiences and perspectives regarding child abuse in Taiwan. Semistructured interviews with Taiwanese nurses were audiotaped and transcribed verbatim for this descriptive study. The method of category development proposed by the grounded theory method was used to develop categorical themes that reflected the nurses’ experiences and perspectives. From the 18 registered nurses interviewed, four major categorical themes emerged that were integral to nurses’ experiences working with abused children: the meaning of child abuse, conflict, feeling frustrated, and nurses’ roles. Findings provide a base for understanding child abuse from the perspectives of nurses and a beginning understanding of interventions needed to improve identification and reporting of child abuse in Taiwan. Although nurses have considerable awareness and concern about child abuse, additional education related to this issue is needed.