Preventing Child Maltreatment in Early Childhood: The Clinical Role of Public Health Nurses in Primary Care

ABSTRACT

Aim and Objective

To explore how public health nurses at child and family health clinics work to prevent maltreatment and the experiences of public health nurses in the maltreatment prevention efforts.

Background

Child maltreatment is a serious societal issue with major consequences. Preventive efforts are increasing and have broad political support. A key objective of the child and family health clinic services is to prevent, identify, and stop maltreatment, abuse, and neglect. National clinical guidelines outline, in general terms, how such work should be conducted. However, limited research exists on how public health nurses prevent maltreatment and the effectiveness of their methods.

Design and Method

A qualitative and explorative design was used, based on semi-structured interviews with 14 public health nurses conducted as part of the project ‘Public Health Nurses in Child and Family Clinics' Role in Preventing and Detecting Child Maltreatment’ at Oslo Metropolitan University. The interviews were carried out between August and November 2021. We used qualitative content analysis with an inductive approach to analyse the data.

Result

Three main categories were developed: 1. Structure and system: weaving prevention into daily practice; 2. To dare and endure: a negotiation of courage and understanding, and 3. To empower and uphold: the goal of strengthening and supporting parents. The results show the importance of early intervention, barriers to discussing maltreatment with parents, and the importance of building trust and empowering parents.

Conclusion

Preventing maltreatment is a key part of public health nurses' clinical work, focusing on early risk identification and parental guidance. While building trust with families is prioritised, structural, resource, and guideline-related challenges persist.

Implications for Practice

This study provides knowledge about Norwegian public health nurses clinical work with child maltreatment at the child and family health clinics, which can serve as a valuable foundation for further research as well as for collaborating services.

Reporting Method

EQUATOR guidelines were followed, using the COREQ checklist.

Patient or Public Contribution

No patient or public contribution.