Changing attitudes about self-injury prevention management: lessons learned

Area of Science:

• Behavioral Health Nursing
• Patient Safety
• Mental Health Interventions

Background:

• Nurses in behavioral health settings frequently use continuous staff monitoring and physical restraints for patient self-injury.
• These methods are highly restrictive, costly, and can elicit negative responses from patients and staff.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe a leadership initiative for developing, training, and implementing a self-injury prevention project.
• To empower patients in managing their behavior and enhance staff awareness of attitudes toward self-injuring patients.

Main Methods:

• A leadership initiative guided the project's development and training.
• Implementation of a novel self-injury prevention program within a behavioral health environment.

Main Results:

• The project fostered patient self-control and improved staff perceptions.
• Reduced reliance on restrictive interventions like continuous monitoring and physical restraints was observed.

Conclusions:

• The self-injury prevention project offers a less restrictive, more empowering approach for behavioral health.
• Staff education and leadership support are crucial for successful implementation and improved patient outcomes.