A Teaching Program for Nurse Practitioners in Preventing, Identifying, and Reporting Child Abuse

Abstract

Providing instruction on preventing, diagnosing, and treating victims of child abuse is a challenge in health care education. Currently at the University of Arizona, College of Nursing, there is a deficiency in the education for graduate students or future nurse practitioners regarding child abuse. The purpose of this project was to create an educational program for students in the graduate program and other health professionals; to increase the awareness of the risk factors leading to child abuse; the health care providers' role in prevention, identification, reporting, and interventions for child abuse victims and their families. The theoretical framework for this project was Pender's Health Promotion and Health Protection Model. Nurse Practitioners can utilize the Health Promotion Model to provide an organized framework for developing and implementing interventions that address the individual needs of the diverse victims and families of child abuse. In addition, the Health Promotion Model will be able to assist other health professionals in providing information to other individuals that work closely with children in the effort to encourage health promoting behaviors and prevent abuse. Evaluation of this project will be ongoing. Ongoing evaluation is designed to enhance teaching techniques in the prevention, recognition and interventions for child abuse and to assist families in establishing healthier lifestyles.