Deliberate self-harm in children: the nurse's therapeutic style

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Nursing
• Mental Health Care
• Child Psychology

Background:

• Deliberate self-harm in children and young people presents complex challenges for healthcare providers.
• Effective nursing management requires addressing practitioners' underlying belief systems and narratives.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine child health nursing skills in managing deliberate self-harm.
• To explore how practitioners' belief systems influence therapeutic responses.
• To outline strategies for enhancing nursing interventions for self-harming youth.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative analysis of nursing practices and practitioner belief systems.
• Exploration of

Main Results:

• Practitioner belief systems, influenced by "tribal stories," significantly impact responses to challenging patient behaviors.
• Therapeutic responses can be expanded by addressing these embedded narratives.

Conclusions:

• Nursing education must target practitioners' belief systems for effective self-harm management.
• Developing a broader therapeutic repertoire is crucial for nurses working with self-harming children and young people.