Caring for the victim of child abuse in the pediatric intensive care unit

Children are the future of the world and deserve their chance to succeed, cheered on by the caretakers and adults who surround them. Nurses in the pediatric intensive care unit do not need to be forensic specialists to effectively identify children who are at risk of abuse, but they should be forensically educated in an effort to increase awareness and serve as a patient advocate. Nurses have the opportunity and legal responsibility to stop the "cycle of violence" one life at a time when working with families living in an abusive environment. This article discusses several aspects of child abuse and the role of the critical care nurses.