New specialty spurs hopes for helping abused kids‏

elkpark · Aug 18, 2009

Ummm, am I missing something? Can you post a link to the news piece, or maybe some more information about what, specifically, you're talking about? Maybe then we can respond.

erwigg · Aug 18, 2009

here is the link

http://www.katu.com/news/medicalalert/53571712.html

sorry I should have posted sooner

mizfradd, CNA · Aug 19, 2009

It sounds like a 50/50 situation to me, 50% good in the fact that a specialty like this would help identify both true and misdiagnosed cases, but also factor in the other 50% where the article states, "the subspecialty will make it more difficult for pediatricians who lack the board certification to testify in court. They note that general pediatricians will continue to handle most of the estimated 3.2 million cases of child abuse reported each year."

As for your question as to how nurses could become certified....only Dr.'s can diagnose, so it kind of looks like a subspecialty strictly for pediatricians, IMHO.

kids · Aug 19, 2009

This is what I've been doing for the last couple of years.

It would be nice to see this grow into a standardized program with some sort of certification for nurses.

erwigg · Aug 19, 2009

This is what I've been doing for the last couple of years.
It would be nice to see this grow into a standardized program with some sort of certification for nurses.

SO what are the who,s whats and such about what you do- do you mind sharing?? the article has capture me so that I want-almost need to pursue.

how did yo get started and where? What of faculity do you work?

elkpark · Aug 19, 2009

Lots of facilities and communities have a multidisciplinary child abuse team, that often involves healthcare people, mental health people and law enforcement people (including nurses) working as a team. That is not new. The new part is a new medical subspecialty within pediatrics.

There are SANEs that specialize in pediatrics, which is similar to what they're talking about for the pediatricians -- I recall that the SANE organization spoke one year at the ACAPN (child psych nursing organization) to recruit child psych CNSs to train as SANEs because there was such a need for the subspecialty.

I agree with the concern that, if an established, board-certified subspecialty is created, it will be difficult for "regular" pediatricians to be recognized by the court as expert witnesses in abuse cases.

erwigg · Aug 19, 2009

so what would this look like for us, as nurses?

if a cert was developed, what it look like and who would go for it?

of course, a person who would have this cert could look like more of an expert than someone with out. but then again someone is or had been part of sane for any number of years could look like an expert. in either case if/when it came down to a court case the lawyers, judge and jury-people overall can tell when a person on the stand really understand what they are talking about or wind is being blown out the bragpipes.

my view is there is always a balance between real world experience and book learning/certs. many certs require a certain amount of direct/related experience that creates a reasonable mix... having a cert in my mind would be a good thing.

a sane cert can't be a "dumb" down one form the doc's any ideas? does it have only deal with the sexual abuse but rather cover the emotional and phy as well?