An 8-year-old girl visits the school nurse frequently with vague ailments. The nurse spends time listening to the girl, takes he
r temperature, and always sends her back to class. One Thursday the girl tells the nurse that she no longer wants to visit her grandfather in his home because he "hugs me too tight and touches me down there" (pointing to her genitals). She has told her mother that she does not want to spend the weekend with her grandparents, but her mother says that she has no choice. What is the most appropriate action by the nurse?
The nurse should talk to the school's councelor or authorities and they should coordinate a meeting with the girl's parents, if they don't see any response, they should report the situation to the police.
Explanation:
What I believe the nurse should do first is to let the authorities or a counselor from the school know what is going on, because she needs to learn how to proceed in this case that is not easy to manage at all. After doing this, and with the appropriate help or guidance, she should call the girl's parents in order to coordinate a meeting. The nurse can also meet the parents with someone who represents the school. If the parents refuse to take this situation seriously, she should report the case to the police.
