| Summary: | Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) is a major public health concern and is also associated
with increased risk of suicide. The type of care people with NSSI receive at the hospital impacts their
health outcomes. This study explored emergency department (ED) and mental health nurses’
(MHNs) understanding, attitudes, empathy and confidence to work with people presenting with
NSSI. ED and MHNs who belonged to either the College of Emergency Nursing Australasia (CENA)
or the Australian College of Mental Health Nurses (ACMHN) were invited to complete an online
survey through a group email from their college. One hundred and one nurses (56 ED and 45
MHNs) completed the survey. The results revealed that nurses from both groups had an accurate
understanding of NSSI and had positive attitudes about patients who self-injure. However,
confidence was higher among MHNs. Greater knowledge of NSSI was correlated with increased
confidence, positive attitudes and empathy. For mental health nurses, but not ED nurses, years of
clinical practice was associated with nurses’ confidence. In contrast, ED nurses with more than
10 years’ experience were less confident in addressing NSSI than ED nurses with less experience.
Issues that affect both ED and MHNs’ knowledge, attitude, empathy and confidence to care for
patients who self-injure are multifactorial. Future education and training should focus on
therapeutic interactions with people at risk of repeat NSSI. Further, more research is recommended
to explore patients’ perspectives of nurses’ attitudes in care for people who self-injure.
|
|---|