1. Discussion: Domestic violence or abuse
Discussion: Domestic violence or abuseDiscussion: Domestic violence or abuseDomestic
violence or abuse may be physical, emotional or sexual. A nurse may reasonably suspect
physical domestic violence, child abuse or elder abuse when a child, an elder or an adult
patient presents with lacerations, piercings, bruises, other bodily marks or fractures that
occurred on very unusual areas of the body like chest, eyes, laps, buttocks or back. Such
abuse may also manifest as fractures, cigarette burns or bite marks which do not
correspond with the circumstances under which such fractures, cigarette burns or bite
marks were alleged to have occurred. (El-Radhi, 2015). Additionally, this student believes
that the repeated occurrence of an injury to the same patient may lead a nurse to
reasonably suspect that the patient is being physically abused.A nurse may suspect sexual
abuse or violence because of inexplicable behavioral changes in a child, elderly person or
any other patient. Such behavioral changes may include but are not limited to aggression
and taciturnity. The patient may also manifest with a sexually transmitted disease,
lacerations or bruises in the genital area, vaginal or anal bleeding, pain or pubic lice. (El-
Radhi, 2015) Discussion: Domestic violence or abuseEmotional abuse is by far the most
difficult for nurses to identify due to the non-physicality of the wounds. The child, patient or
elderly person may be emotionally detached from an individual with whom ordinarily they
should have a close relationship. They may also be unusually quiet or in the case of a child,
show signs of growth retardation. (El-Radhi, 2015). This student believes that in all cases, it
is important to pay close attention to minor details like the explanation for the unusual
behavior of the child, patient or elderly person. There may also be an unusual delay
between the occurrence of the injury and presentation in a healthcare setting. Furthermore,
the offending family member may be very defensive, edgy or inexplicably verbally
combative and antagonistic.This student works for a hospital in Dallas, Texas. The hospital
has a standard procedure for reporting suspected abuse. Such procedure was developed in
furtherance of state law which makes it a felony to conceal elder or child abuse.
Consequently, anyone who reasonably suspects elder or child abuse is mandated by law to
report to the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services within 24 hours. (Texas
Family Code, section 261: 109) Reporting may be by phone, online, in writing or in person.
Anyone who reports child or elder abuse in good faith in the state of Texas is immune from
criminal prosecution or retribution. This student’s employer’s policy was therefore
developed in compliance with the afore-mentioned statute. Any employee who reasonably
suspects the abuse of a child or elderly person must report such abuse to his or her
2. supervisor within three hours. The supervisor is required to investigate the alleged abuse
within six hours and report his or her findings to management. Management is required to
report substantiated suspicions of abuse to law enforcement authorities within 24 hours.
This student’s employer strictly enforces this procedure and rightly so.Many cases of abuse
in families across the world are hidden from public view. (Singh, 2014). To combat this
problem headlong, nurses and other healthcare professionals are duty-bound to report
suspected cases of patient abuse. Identifying the signs and symptoms of abuse is very
important. All healthcare workers ought to take this obligation very seriously because a
patient’s life may actually depend on it.ReferencesEl-Radhi, A. S. (2015). Safeguarding the
welfare of children: what is the nurse’s role? British Journal of Nursing, 24(15), 769-
773.Singh, R. S. (2014). Elderly abuse and negleet: the challenges ahead. Indian Journal of
Health & Wellbeing, 5(4), 510-513.Texas Family Code (2005) Section 261: 109.ORDER NOW
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