Suicide Prevention & Recovery: Practical Resources for PMH Nurses

Nurse Assessment & Management of Suicide Risk

Suicide is one of the leading causes of death, with risk elevated further for hospitalized persons with mental health disorders. The APNA Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Essential Competencies for Assessment and Management of Individuals at Risk for Suicide describe the knowledge, skills, and attitudes for expert care. The accompanying education and positions help nurses operationalize these competencies and advance suicide prevention efforts.

Suicide Prevention Education for Nurses

• APNA Suicide Prevention Certificate Program
  Increase your confidence and competence in the nursing skills of suicide assessment, management, and prevention.

• Population-focused Suicide Prevention Courses
  Build on the certificate program foundation with these specific suicide prevention considerations and strategies for youth, LGBTQIA+, and older adult populations, as well as one for APRN scope of practice.

APNA Position Papers

• APNA Position: Competencies for Nurse-Assessment and Management of Inpatient Suicide Risk
  APNA competencies, by clearly defining the level of competence needed, improve the standard of inpatient nursing care for suicide prevention and reduce suicide morbidity and mortality.
• APNA Position: Youth Suicide Prevention
  Psychiatric-mental health nurses at all levels of practice can reduce suicide mortality by intervening with children, adolescents, and families across levels of care through youth-relevant suicide screening, risk assessment, and treatment planning.

Earn Free CE and Learn More about the APNA Position on Youth Suicide Prevention

Recovery is Foundational to Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing

Recovery is foundational to PMH nursing across levels, from supporting personal recovery goals to fostering recovery-oriented environments to advancing equitable access, to helping integrate mental health recovery components into systems.

As explained in the Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing: Scope & Standards of Practice, part of the psychiatric-mental health nursing process’s purpose is:

“assist persons to achieve their own personal recovery goals by gaining, regaining, or improving, coping abilities, living skills, and managing symptoms….” (p.15)

Recovery-Oriented Care

Helpful points from the APNA Key Elements of Safety Toolkit:

• Culture & Philosophy: To foster a treatment environment conducive to recovery, it is essential to cultivate a culture in which staff and patients alike feel secure and respected.
• Patient Engagement: Engagement…impacts patient recovery and influences patient and staff satisfaction.
• Environment of Care: A thoughtfully designed therapeutic environment can…promote recovery and support the delivery of compassionate, person-centered care.
• Crisis Prevention: Psychiatric-mental health nurses use therapeutic communication, trauma-informed approaches, and building rapport to prevent crisis and support recovery by fostering trust and emotional regulation.

Earn FREE CE and learn about supporting nurses in recovery from substance use disorders: