Suicide Assessment and Nurses: What Does the Evidence Show?

Abstract

Suicide is at epidemic proportions both in the United States and across the globe. Yet, it is a preventable public health problem. Nurses practice on the front-lines and have the greatest number of opportunities to identify and intervene with suicidal patients. Most registered nurses (RNs) have little or no training in how to assess, evaluate, treat, or refer a suicidal patient. Because of this lack of training, RNs feel ill-prepared and afraid to talk to patients about suicide. The purpose of this article is to review the state of the science of suicide assessment training for nurses. Training RNs in how to assess, evaluate, treat, and refer a suicidal patient is key to suicide prevention. Research suggests that once RNs are trained in suicide assessment, they realize it is no different than assessing for any other type of illness and are then able to help those with suicidal tendencies. The article conclusion offers implications for education, research, and practice.

Predictive modeling of suicidal ideation in patients with epilepsy

“…Given that suicide is a leading cause of death in PWE, 5 identifying SI prior to progression is the first step in mitigating CS. This framework is based on an abundance of literature showing a strong association between SI and CS 12,13,23 …”

“…SI has been established as a strong risk factor for death by suicide. Longitudinal studies within the general population have shown it to be a significant predictor for CS 12,13 . In the year prior to suicide, 83% of patients will see a health care provider at least once, and most persons (55%) will receive health care services in the 4 weeks prior to death by suicide 14 .…”

“…Longitudinal studies within the general population have shown it to be a significant predictor for CS. 12,13 In the year prior to suicide, 83% of patients will see a health care provider at least once, and most persons (55%) will receive health care services in the 4 weeks prior to death by suicide. 14 Although public discussion has emphasized the importance of mental health treatment, the majority of people who die by suicide do not have a prior mental health diagnosis.…”

Barriers to the Prevention of Suicide in Nursing Homes

“…Finally, they are faced with ethical dilemmas (Valente, 2011; Valente & Saunders, 2004). Bolster et al (2015) studied the psychosocial barriers to managing suicide by oncology nurses. The nurses reported conflicts between their role in the prevention of suicide and in their commitment to patients at the end of their lives who asked to die with dignity.…”

“…This conflict can be summarized as being between their moral values and what is required by their professional practices. Most studies report that nurses would like to feel more competent when dealing with someone contemplating suicide and that it would thus be a good idea to develop training programs (Bolster, Holliday, Oneal, & Shaw, 2015).…”