Publication: Knowledge and Practices of Child Protection among the School Health Nurses of Nepal
Date
2021
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Kathmandu University
Abstract
ABSTRACT
Background
Child protection is burning issues in developing countries including Nepal. Child
protection is one of the key works of the school health nurses.
Objective
To find out about the existing knowledge and practices of child protection among the
school health nurses.
Method
This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 130 school health nurses
working in different schools throughout Nepal. The participants were selected using
purposive sampling technique and were invited to participate via various online
networks. Self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data. Duration of data
collection was 20 December 2020 to 10 February 2021. Descriptive statistics was
used to analyze and interpret the data.
Result
Among the 130 Participants, 88.5% belonged to less than 29 years age group and
67.7% had Proficiency Certificate Level in Nursing education. None of them has
received training related to child protection recognition and response and 90.8%
had work experience of less than 5 years. Eighty percent and 96.9% participants
had knowledge regarding the meaning of child right and child abuse respectively.
But 45.4% had knowledge on meaning of child neglect; 53.1% and 72.3% had the
knowledge of physical abuse and noncontact sexual abuse respectively. Majority
(86.9%) of the participants reported as relatives were the abuser and 63.8% replied as
home is the common place for abuse. Similarly, 85.4% had received the information
regarding child protection via television radio and newspaper. Only 36.1% has already
been involved in child protection. The participants who went to local government
(Palika), police and Non-government Organizations for coordination for child right
issues were 9(19.1%), 7(14.8%) and 8(17.0%) respectively.
Conclusion
Most of the school health nurses are young without having experience of childhood
abuse and received any child protection training before joining the job. They have
good knowledge of child right, physical, sexual abuse except child neglect and
existing legal arrangements. There is gap in knowledge and practice.
KEY WORDS
Child abuse, Knowledge, Practice, School health nurses
Description
Chapgain RH,1,2 Adhikari S,1 Pandey A,3 Sharma S,4 Pokhrel S,1 Devkota N,1 Shrestha NJ,1,2 Upadhaya D,5 Acharay J,6 Dharel M7
1KantiChildren’s Hospital, Kathmandu, Nepal
2National Academy of Medical Sciences (NAMS)
Kathmandu, Nepal
3Birgunj Nursing Campus
Institute of Medicine, Tribhuvan University
Birgunj, Parsa, Nepal
4Scheer Memorial Hospital, Banepa, Nepal
5Cumbria Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, UK
6Alder Hey Children’s Hospital, NHS Foundation
Trust, UK
7National Child Right Council, Kathmandu, Nepal
Keywords
Child abuse, Knowledge, Practice, School health nurses