Child abuse: ethical and legal concerns for the nurse

1. Nurses, as well as many other types of professionals, are required by law to report any incidence or evidence of child abuse or neglect. The nurse or other professional is immune from liability after reporting an incidence of child abuse, but the nurse can be held civilly and criminally liable if he or she fails to make a report of suspected abuse. 2. Nurses are permitted, by law, to enter evidence and testify on behalf of the victim, especially if it is deemed to be too harmful or traumatic for the child to endure. 3. Nurses can aid greatly in the prosecutorial process by utilizing their relationship with the victim to ease the often-daunting pressure of the courtroom and the difficulty in dealing with and recounting the abusive incidents.