Nurses' Barriers to Managing Suicide Risk
Author Information
Author(s): Sharon Valente
Primary Institution: Department of Veterans Affairs
Hypothesis
What are the psychosocial barriers that oncology nurses face in managing suicide risk?
Conclusion
Oncology nurses face significant psychosocial barriers that complicate their ability to manage suicide risk effectively.
Supporting Evidence
- 70% of people warn providers of their suicidal impulses, but clinicians often fail to take these warnings seriously.
- Rates of suicide among cancer patients are estimated to be as high as 31.4/100,000 person-years.
- Nurses reported that they lacked the expertise to assess suicide risk and felt uncomfortable discussing it.
Takeaway
Nurses sometimes find it hard to help patients who are thinking about suicide because of their own feelings and beliefs.
Methodology
A random survey of 454 oncology nurses was conducted using a vignette of a suicidal patient and a suicide attitude questionnaire.
Potential Biases
Nurses' personal experiences and beliefs may bias their attitudes towards suicide and euthanasia.
Limitations
The study may not represent all nurses as it focused on oncology nurses and had a response rate of 37%.
Participant Demographics
{"gender":"90.4% women","ethnicity":{"EuroAmerican":"77%","African American":"7.1%","Asian American":"7.1%","Latin American":"4.2%","Canadian":"2.1%"},"age":"Modal age 40-49, range 20 to over 60 years","education":{"Diploma/AA or B.S. degree":"38.4%","M.S. degree":"55.9%"},"experience":"89.1% had worked more than 9 years in nursing"}
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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