Delayed recall of childhood sexual abuse: psychiatric nursing's responsibilities to clients.

In no other area of psychiatric care is such suspicion being cast on clients as in the area of delayed recall of childhood sexual abuse. Adult survivors of childhood abuse are encountered in nursing contexts of all kinds. Psychiatric nurses should be the ones that other nurses and members of the public can look to for guidance and clinical wisdom about dissociative amnesia for childhood abuse. It is incumbent on psychiatric nurses, especially those who publish about clinical issues, to provide the most accurate and complete available knowledge, to prioritize clients' needs, and to recommend care that meets the highest standards.