Question

A child comes to the emergency department and the adult with them states the child fell of their bicycle and was injured. As a nurse you notice the marks on the child are not in areas that would align with a fall off of a bicycle. As a mandated reporter the nurse realizes the first course of a action is to:

Call the local police department to request an officer immediately.

Inform the nursing supervisor to file a report of suspicion.

Tell the doctor so they can order the correct diagnostic tests.

Tell the adult of their suspicions and asks if there has been any recent abuse.

Answer 1

In the above criteria as a mandated reporter, the nurse must call the local police department to request an officer immediately. Do not enquire the child about incidence as children tend to report inaccurately when asked repeatedly. The first option is the correct answer.