Best-practice intervention for care of clients who self-mutilate.
OBJECTIVE
To describe the development of a best practice intervention to guide nurse practitioners (NPs) who care for individuals who self-mutilate.


METHODS
The evidence on which the guideline was based includes six descriptive studies and expert clinical opinion articles. The framework for development of the guideline is a systematic process to obtain and analyze the best available evidence, develop a theory-driven intervention, and propose a system for ongoing evaluation of the effectiveness of the intervention.


CONCLUSIONS
The guideline is an information sheet, containing the definition of self-mutilation, background of the problem, target population affected, and intervention. The three components of the intervention are (a) the NP's self-evaluation of values, beliefs, and assumptions about individuals who self-mutilate; (b) a focused, in-depth assessment of the client; and (c) therapeutic strategies to address the emotional, social, and biological dimensions of self-mutilation.


CONCLUSIONS
This Best-Practice Intervention for Care of Clients Who Self-Mutilate guideline provides direction for NPs to address a preventable, self-injury behavior effectively. Further study is needed to examine the effectiveness of the use of the guideline and the intervention.
Hicks
K Madalyn
KM
Gainesville Medical Clinic, Gainesville, Missouri, USA. brucehicks@centurytel.net
Hinck
Susan M
SM
D019985:Benchmarking; D019983:Guideline Adherence; D006801:Humans; D009722:Nurse Practitioners; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D012307:Risk Factors; D012652:Self Mutilation / Q000451:nursing* / Q000517:prevention & control