NURSES DIAGNOSTIC WORK ON POSSIBLE PHYSICAL CHILD-ABUSE

The concept of diagnostic work (A. Strauss, S. Fagerhaugh, B. Suczek, & C. Wiener, 1985) is used to explore nurses' responses to potential c hild abuse. A total of 1,036 nurses (response rate of 67%) completed a mailed questionnaire that included open-ended qualitative-type questi ons about hypothetical situation involving possible child abuse. We re port their judgments regarding information presented in the hypothetic al situation and additional information they requested to make the dia gnosis. Nurses focused primarily on the child's injuries and behavior and wanted more information about the abuse event. Diagnostic work was then analyzed by specialty group: community health, school health, em ergency, and pediatric nursing. Nurses' specialization influenced the choice of information that was determined to be decisive and the addit ional information desired to make a diagnosis.