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Preventing Suicide Network Helping those who help others

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Welcome Nurse

"It can be easy to overlook the risk of suicide, especially in the elderly, but it is more common than you might think. As nurses we have to remember to look at the total person. We might be seeing a senior for some type of routine follow up for a known physical condition, but if we look more fully, the signs of depression, unresolved grief, or hopelessness may be there."

-Anonymous Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse

Introduction

There is an epidemic of suicidal behavior

Every 18 minutes someone in the United States ends his or her life by suicide. While it is a fairly well publicized fact that suicide is the 3rd leading cause of death among youths and young adults age 10-24, it is also the 5th leading cause of death among men aged 55-64 and the 9th leading cause among both men and women aged 55-64 of all races (Reference 1).

Observe, assess, and act

Nurses often find themselves asking the question “is there something else going on?” In the course of their daily work, nurses may see clients who describe one set of symptoms, but present with something different. Regardless of whether you work in a hospital, physician's office, school, long term care facility, or mental health agency, you may be the first to pick up on an underlying concern that is indicative of an increased risk for suicide.

As a Nurse you are in a unique role to:

Observe changes in the affect (mood and behaviors) of your clients
Detect changes in the physical health and well being of your clients
Help clients to recognize that the source of their physical problems or changes in their affect may be depression or some other mental health concern
Use facilitative communication and the therapeutic nurse-client relationship to offer hope by letting clients know that he or she does not have to feel this way and that you can assist them to find the help that they need
Implement a crisis intervention plan in your place of work to ensure appropriate and timely care for your clients who are having a suicidal crisis

References for Nurse Introduction

What to look for as a Nurse

By better understanding how to assess the symptoms of depression and the associated factors for potential for harm to self, nurses can help to determine a client's risk for suicide.

What to do to help as a Nurse

As a nurse, you are in a key role to observe clients within the inpatient therapeutic milieu and observe atypical behaviors - from acting out to withdrawing and destructive or aggressive acts toward themselves or others. In other clinical settings, nurses are instrumental in discriminating inconsistent assessment findings. Take note, and take action.

What education is available for a Nurse

There is a wide array of resources specifically geared for helping individuals within the population that you are working who may be at risk for suicide. As a nurse, you may be asked to help clients, family members, or co-workers find resources to help meet their educational needs.

What researchers are doing of interest to Nurses

Improved practices and new treatments are being consistently discovered through research that can help nurses to better work with clients who are at risk for suicide

What other resources are available for Nurses

There are some resources that do not easily “fit” into any specific category. Suicide prevention resources are compiled that are specific to your interests as a Nurse.

What to look for

>>Myths

>Professional resources

>>Professional screening tools

>>Suicide risk screening tools

What to do to help