Overcoming barriers to suicide risk management.
1. Nurses need to seek consultation if they have difficulties responding therapeutically to suicidal patients because of their religious and other anti-suicide values, uncomfortable feelings, inadequate knowledge, personal experience with suicide, and the weight of professional responsibilities. 2. Staff need to evaluate, document, and communicate patients' suicide risk to the health care team and monitor their suicidal messages and behavior. 3. Communicating inadequate medication or withdrawal symptoms promptly to a physician and following hospital policies about suicide monitoring and prevention, including providing continuous observation and a safe environment, are essential to risk management.
Veterans Administration, Veteran Affairs Greater Los Angeles Health Care System, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA. sharon.valente@med.va.gov
Sharon
S
Valente
D006801:Humans; D011568:Psychiatric Nursing; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012308:Risk Management; D000092864:Suicide Prevention