Platt, SusanZambas, ShelaineSpence, DebCook, Catherine2025-07-062025-07-062025-04-23Journal of Primary Health Care, ISSN: 1172-6156 (Print), CSIRO Publishing. doi: 10.1071/hc250161172-6156http://hdl.handle.net/10292/19481Introduction There is a knowledge gap around the experiences of New Zealand (NZ) primary health care (PHC) registered nurses and nurse practitioners when working with children whom they suspect are being abused or neglected. Aim This study aimed to explore what PHC nurses experience when building and nurturing family and interdisciplinary relationships amidst a suspicion that a child is being abused or neglected. Methods Using contacts and snowballing to recruit participants, 13 PHC nurses working in the Auckland region were interviewed using semi-structured interviews. Gadamerian hermeneutics guided the analysis, with other philosophers drawn on to deepen the analysis. Results Relationship building is precarious due to trust issues, tensions around reporting, and complex power relations. Nurses are central to coordinating interprofessional care. Discussion Building relationships with families, children, and colleagues is fundamental to child protection. It is only by knowing what building and nurturing relationships is like amidst suspicion of child abuse or neglect that those whom nurses work with can understand what this work is like.© 2025 The Author(s) (or their employer(s)). Published by CSIRO Publishing on behalf of The Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-ND)4203 Health Services and Systems4205 Nursing42 Health SciencesViolence ResearchChild Abuse and Neglect ResearchPediatricBehavioral and Social Science8.1 Organisation and delivery of services7.1 Individual care needs3 Good Health and Well Being1110 Nursing1117 Public Health and Health Services4203 Health services and systemsJournal ArticleOpenAccess10.1071/hc25016