Queensland nurses' attitudes towards and knowledge of the legislative duty to report child abuse and neglect: results of a state-wide survey

Abstract

In 2005, legislation commenced requiring Queensland nurses to make reports of suspected child abuse and neglect to government child protection authorities. This development further harmonised Australian mandatory reporting laws and their application to the nursing profession, although inconsistencies still exist between States and Territories. As indicated by research published in 2006, little is known about nurses and the reporting of child abuse and neglect. The legislative change in Queensland provided a new opportunity to study nurses' attitudes to reporting, knowledge of the legal reporting duty, and reporting practice, all of which provides much-needed evidence about the reporting of child abuse and neglect, and about the laws themselves. This article describes results from a State-wide survey of Queensland nurses. Findings have implications for law reform, nursing practice, and nurses' training in child abuse and neglect reporting.