General Abuse reporting question

[New2ER]

Example: Alert and oriented adult woman comes to the ER for treatment of a fever. During the course of treatment, it is noted that she has multiple bruises in various stages of healing. She does eventually tell the ER RN that she is frequently beaten by her boyfriend but refuses to allow police to be called and does not want to file a report.

Is the ER RN required to report the case to the abuse hotline?

[SuesquatchRN, BSN, RN]

Nurses and other healthcare professionals (paramedics, etc) are considered equal to police officers for their testimony in court in regards to being impartial...to say that a nurse is lying just to be lying is like saying that a police officer is lying just to be lying.

So you're saying that a nurse's testimony is automatically considered to be the unvarnished truth? Then why do nurses and policemen get cross-examined just like any other witness?

[facetiousgoddess]

From 1991 to 1994, California, Colorado, Rhode Island, and Kentucky passed various forms of mandatory reporting laws requiring health care professionals to report intimate partner violence (IPV) to the police.

Those are the states with mandatory reporting. URL for full article:

http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/286/5/580

It was written ages ago, (2001) however it is a good "jumping off" point for further research, thought and discussion.

Tres

(who coulda swore there were 7 states w/HCP mandatory IVP reporting...)

[anc33]

So you're saying that a nurse's testimony is automatically considered to be the unvarnished truth? Then why do nurses and policemen get cross-examined just like any other witness?

Being an impartial witness just means you are not a stakeholder in the issue. Both parties have the right to cross examine whomever they like.

[justme1972]

So you're saying that a nurse's testimony is automatically considered to be the unvarnished truth? Then why do nurses and policemen get cross-examined just like any other witness?

No, I never said that, nor is it true.

A police officer is considered an impartial witness, healthcare professionals simply giving testimony to what they saw and heard, is considered an impartial witness, just like the county coroner...he/she is only reporting their findings.

Now if a nurse was getting sued, then "you have a dog in the race" by protecting your behind.

You see the difference?