Helping Nurses Identify and Report Sentinel Injuries of Child Abuse in Infants (Essay Sample)

Helping Nurses Identify and Report Sentinel Injuries of Child Abuse in Infants
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Helping Nurses Identify and Report Sentinel Injuries of Child Abuse in Infants
Article Summary
The presence of sentinel injuries (SIs) in neonates allows for the identification of child abuse. In pre-mobile newborns, they are unanticipated bruising and mouth injuries (A. Cleek et al., 2022). Since SIs can be fatal or life-threatening, they should be reported very away when they are discovered. It is critical to provide nurses with pertinent information on both the understanding of obligatory reporting rules as well as the reporting of SIs.
According to studies, general pediatricians are more likely to spot child abuse than pediatric subspecialists. The knowledge gap has been the main cause of this. Nurses are concerned about being involved in the legal system because these SIs are suspect and not diagnostic for abuse.
Intrapersonal factors, such as prior experiences reporting suspected abuse and knowledge of child abuse, influence how nurses report suspected child abuse (A. Cleek et al., 2022). Implicit biases, or unintentional and unconscious attitudes held by people, also hinder people from reporting accurately. To make this a reality, institutions and communities must collaborate. Laws requiring reporting are in place to safeguard children and emphasize justification and discretion. However, this can make nurses' decisions about whether and when to disclose abuse more difficult.
Nurses should be aware of any incidental findings made during a well-child visit to ensure they are vocal advocates for infants with SIs (A. Cleek et al., 2022). Parents should be asked and instructed on how to spot intra-oral injuries and bruises in their children. They should also be conscious of implicit biases to keep their reasoning from being dangerously influenced. When discussing the SIs with the family members, they should use non-medical terms like "bruise" and "injury in the mouth”. To guarantee that they report appropriately, peer consultation is also crucial. By including the medical staff, nurses should further guarantee that the proper medical examination is carried out. Additionally, nurses need to be aware of CPS procedures and the reporting format used in their area of practice.
In conclusion, nurses must safeguard and advance children's health by seeing and disclosing any child abuse. SIs give nurses the chance to spot and report possible child abuse as well as properly express their concerns to loved ones, coworkers, and CPS.
Analysis of Writing Expectations According to Bazerman Checklist
Relationship Between the Writer and the Reader
In the article “Helping Nurses Identify and Report Sentinel Injuries of Child Abuse in Infants”, the relationship between the writer and the reader is profound. Following the guideline by Bazerman, the writer expects the reader to understand the fact that child abuse does not occur only to adults but also to infants. A child can be of 3 months, but they have experienced child abuse through sentinel injuries. In this article, the writer tries to make it clear that most nurses do not notice the instances of child abuse which they should be able to identify once a child reports for clinic visits.
The reader is addressed on how to follow through and get the knowledge of identifying the SIs, that is, by checking for any injury in the child’s mouth and under the tongue. Here, the writer informs the reader of the underlying circumstances under-reporting of the injuries, and the procedures that are expected to be followed to ensure all child abuse cases are recorded and escalated accordingly.
Further, the writer ensures the reader follows the discussion by providing sequential information from the definition and introduction of the article, the current underlying situation and what has caused it, and the recommendations s/he have to the reader to ensure all child abuse cases are recorded and reported and lastly the writer’s conclusion. Again, through the article, the writer engages the reader by giving actual examples the reader is very aware of. The tone of the article is formal and encouraging. The reader is encouraged all through and showed how it is possible to record and report cases of child abuse. Though the article is informative, the writer assumes that the reader knows a lot about the issues of child abuse.
Article’s Overall Structure
This essay has three sections: an introduction, a body, and a conclusion. The definitions of the subject at hand are spelled out under the introduction. Additionally, the author has held the reader's attention and provided an overview of the article's important ideas. The writer provided intriguing and clear arguments about the subject throughout the article's body, and they concluded by stating their position on the subject.
The paragraphs are logically structured and connected as the thoughts flow from one paragraph to the next based on the article's content. The author divides the topic into sections to make the material more accessible. For instance, there is a separate section for the introduction, another for the factors impacting nurses' reporting behavior, and another for the suggestions and consequences for nursing practice. The writer makes sure the reader does not jumble concepts by using this grouping.
Content Choices
The article's author has extensively covered the aspect of the factors influencing nurses' reporting practices. The most important part of the article was this section. There are several topics in the text that the author has not gone into much. For instance, the author assumed that all parents would simply comply and provide the information requested in the statements about nursing inquiries from parents, which may not be the case. The author also mentions that in any healthcare facility, nurses make up a greater proportion of individuals who deal with infants. S/he provides no evidence to support the same. In addition to all of this, prevention is preferable to treatment. It would have been great if the author of this essay had included a section on how to stop baby abuse. Perhaps provide parents some guidance on some of the safeguards they should take to protect their kids from intraoral injuries.
Expansion of Topics
Since they are taken from the article's title, the subtopics are well thought out. The author has incorporated both argument and anecdotes in the specific subjects that the reader is interested in. The topics the writer chose to appear to be appealing to him or her. This is clear from their style of explanation and the way their ideas flow. Additionally, the author includes examples that the reader is already familiar with, such as when Milwaukee County is mentioned.
The reader is urged to accept the premise that infant maltreatment is fatal, should be taken seriously, and requires reporting in all cases because the repercussions are unfavorable. The reader will find this material engaging and continue reading because of the manner statements are explained. They are clear