APNA Competency Based Training for Suicide Prevention: PMH Nurse Generalists
Become a card-carrying APNA Suicide Prevention Provider!
Learn to systematically apply the first suicide prevention competencies developed for psychiatric-mental health nurse generalists to your practice! This live* interactive training, presented by a facilitator with expertise in suicide prevention, will increase your confidence and competence in the nursing skills of suicide assessment, management and prevention. Get evidence-based nursing knowledge and best practices from this content developed to improve the knowledge, attitudes, skills and critical thinking of psychiatric-mental health nurses caring for persons at risk for suicide.
Target Audience: Generalist nurses who care for persons with mental health disorders in an inpatient setting.
Nursing Continuing Professional Development (Continuing Education)
Participants who complete all of the training requirements will be able to earn 7.0 contact hours. See the Nursing Continuing Professional Development page for more information.
Course Learning Outcomes
- Discuss the phenomenology of suicide.
- Describe risk and protective factors related to suicide.
- Demonstrate self-awareness of emotional reactions, attitudes, and beliefs related to previous experiences with suicide.
- Perform a suicide risk assessment.
- Develop a collaborative safety plan with the patient/family.
- Perform an environmental safety assessment.
Program Overview
Participants who register and complete all requirements of the full training (see below) receive:
- 7.0 Continuing Nursing Professional Development Contact Hours: 1 Certificate for 7.0 contact hours
- Participant Workbook: Includes notes, worksheets, a glossary, and more.
- Suicide Prevention Provider Card: Serves as proof of successful completion of the training and passing of skills assessment. Valid for 3 years.
Training Schedule
8:00am-10:00am
- Introductions
- Phenomenon of Suicide (Competency 1)
- Epidemiology
- Terminology
- Legal & Ethical Issues (Competencies 8 & 9)
- Legal duty
- Ethical decision making
- Self-awareness (Competency 2)
10:00am-10:15am
- Break
10:15am-12:15pm
- Comprehensive Assessment (Competencies 3, 4 & 5)
- Therapeutic Relationship
- Mental health assessment including mental status exam
- Risk formulation
- Documentation
- Class Activity — Assess and document level of risk
- Video 1: Exemplar of a focused assessment
12:15pm-12:45pm
- Lunch Break
12:45pm-2:45pm
- Class Activity – Perform and Document Focused Assessment
- Plan of care (Competency 6)
- Video 2: Developing a safety plan & discussion
- Class Activity – Developing a safety plan
2:45pm-3:00pm
- Break
3:00pm-4:00pm
- Video 3: Updating the safety plan at discharge discussion
- Environmental Management (Competency 7)
- Environmental hazards
- Environmental interventions
- Review & Wrap Up
Required Post-Training
- Post-Training Self-Assessment
- Overall Evaluation
- NCPD Certificate
If you are interested in learning about training opportunities near you, or bringing a training to your organization, please contact advocatesforhope@apna.org.
A note about safety: APNA recommends strict compliance with state/local and national recommendations, including the Centers for Disease Control, for safety and distancing measures for in-person events, which may include 6 ft of separation between participants and/or wearing masks. Please contact the facility where your training is being held for specific requirements, or your state department of health for local guidance. National guidance can be found here.
For more information on how to register for these workshops, please contact APNA at advocatesforhope@apna.org or 855-863-APNA (2762).
Please email advocatesforhope@apna.org for information about bringing a training to your area or institution
APNA reserves the right to make program changes as necessary, and the right to cancel trainings if minimum enrollment has not been met, or events occur beyond the reasonable control of APNA.
Facilitator Training Opportunities
APNA holds courses for persons interested in becoming facilitators of the APNA Competency Based Training for Suicide Prevention throughout the year. For questions about the training and/or the process for becoming a facilitator, please email advocatesforhope@apna.org.
Target Audience
PMH-RN Nurse Educators
Pre-Requisites
In order to participate in this course, individuals must have:
- Successfully completed the APNA Competency Based Training for Suicide Prevention
- Two or more years’ experience working as a psychiatric-mental health nurse in a behavioral health setting
- Teaching experience in the hospital, community or academic setting
Why become a facilitator?
Beyond the educational value and contact hours, learners who successfully complete this course are the only educators authorized to deliver the APNA Competency Based Training for Suicide Prevention. They join a prestigious group of nurses who have demonstrated competencies in facilitation of this program. They work with institutions and APNA to deliver this crucial training across the country.
