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Open staff's eyes to suicide: Use training to prevent patient suicide

Nurse Leader Weekly, June 10, 2005

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Open staff's eyes to suicide

Use training to prevent patient suicide

If a patient came into your ED venting to nurses about his problems, would they recognize his comments as possible symptoms of suicide?

If you are unsure how your nurses would handle such a situation, you are not alone, says Paul Quinnett, PhD, president and CEO of The QPR Institute, Inc., in Spokane, WA.

Quinnett's research has found that because of a lack of specific training, nurses often fail to recognize suicide risk in patients. Suicidal patients often visit the hospital or their doctor's office and present symptoms, but healthcare providers sometimes miss the warning signs.

Caregivers often do not discuss suicide with patients because they

• are afraid to ask
• don't know how to ask
• don't know what words to use
• are afraid to create a burden of care they would not have if they never ask

One way to help prevent patient suicide is to learn the risk factors and warning signs that individuals present beforehand. Nurses should look for the following:

Risk factors

• Problems with school, work, the law
• Loss of a loved one, relationship, home, security
• Family history of depression, substance abuse, suicide
• Unexpected pregnancy, break up of romance
• Fear of authority, peers, or gang members
• Stress of new situation; beginning new school, job, college, or relocating to a new community
• Sexual orientation/identity (The risk of suicide is two to three times higher for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender youth)

Warning signs

• Abrupt changes in personality
• Putting affairs in order/giving away possessions
• Previous suicide attempt
• Alcohol or drug use
• Depression
• Lack of self-esteem
• Withdrawal from friends, family, or favorite activity
• Change in eating or sleeping patterns
• Chronic pain
• Restlessness, inability to concentrate, irritability

Source: Adapted from Competency Management Advisor (May 2005), published by HCPro, Inc.

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