Objective: The major purpose of this study was twofold. First, the prevalence of judgmental attitudes, lack of knowledge, and self-perception of a lack of preparation of registered nurses employed in a variety of clinical practice settings to care for women opting to abandon their newborns was measured. Secondly, the following hypothesis was tested: There is a relationship between knowledge, attitudes, and the self-perception of preparedness of nurses regarding their abilities to manage a newborn abandonment situation.
Design: This research surveyed randomly selected research participants using the Newborn Abandonment Care Survey to measure knowledge, attitude, and self-perception of preparedness of registered nurses to manage a newborn abandonment situation.
Population, Sample, Setting, Years: Registered nurses who were listed as actively practicing nursing in the state of Texas (n=118,997) in April of 2001 represented the target population. The sample (n=2,000) was obtained from a randomly generated database of 9,500 nurses representing all areas of nursing practice purchased from the Board of Nurse Examiners in Texas. Because each state has enacted different legislation addressing this issue, this setting for this study was limited to the state of Texas. Data was collect during 2001.
Concept and Outcome Variables Studied: Registered nurses' attitudes, knowledge, and self-perception of preparedness to manage a newborn abandonment event.
Methods: Descriptive statistics will be used to describe the sample population. c2 will be used to compare the sample with the population of active, registered nurses as reported by the State Board of Nurses in the corresponding state to determine if the sample adequately represents nurses in that state. Prevalence of judgmental attitudes, lack of knowledge, and self-perception of a lack of preparation of registered nurses will then be quantified. The Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient (r) will be used to test the hypothesis to determine if a relationship exists between study variables. Calculation of r will determine the strength and type of relationship if one exists.
Findings: Early study findings include: (1) General lack of awareness of the laws associated with newborn abandonment and the implications they have for nurses, (2) Health care providers have never had any formal education regarding this issue, (3) Attitudes about this phenomenon are extremely varied and emotionally charged, (4) Very few agencies have developed a policy to address this issue, and (5) There is general consensus that nurses would like more information on this topic.
Conclusions: Increased funding is need to educate nurses regarding their roles in newborn abandonment events and to promote "safe haven" legislative efforts in the community and the population to which the legislation is directed.
Implications: This study highlights the lack of information regarding the magnitude of the problem of public abandonment of newborns and the inability to construct a profile of the woman at risk for this act. Inefficient dissemination of information regarding new laws impedes the nurse's ability to carry out state laws addressing this issue and successfully meet the needs of these high-risk clients. With the passage of the new "safe haven" laws comes an implied change in the way in which the general public as well as health care providers perceive the act of newborn abandonment. The transformation of societal attitudes of viewing these women, once thought to be criminals, as victims of circumstance needing assistance to deal with their life situation is a slow process.
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