A nurse-led pathway to treat self-harm injuries

Area of Science:

• Mental Health Nursing
• Emergency Medicine
• Patient Care Pathways

Background:

• Self-harm is prevalent in psychiatric and outpatient settings, with many patients utilizing emergency services for minor injuries.
• Healthcare professionals may exhibit negative attitudes towards individuals with repeated self-harm due to resource pressures.
• Existing emergency department (ED) resources are strained by frequent presentations for self-inflicted injuries.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and implement a novel nurse-led pathway for fast-tracking the assessment and treatment of self-harm injuries.
• To improve the attitudes of medical and nursing staff towards patients who repeatedly self-harm.
• To reduce the burden on accident and emergency (A&E) services by providing timely and appropriate care.

Main Methods:

• Development of a dedicated nurse-led pathway by the Ayr Clinic and NHS Ayrshire and Arran.
• Implementation of a fast-track system for patients presenting with self-harm injuries.
• Training and support for healthcare professionals to foster positive attitudes.

Main Results:

• The pathway successfully expedited assessment and treatment for patients with self-harm injuries.
• Improvements were observed in healthcare professionals' attitudes and responses to patients who self-harm.
• Reduced reliance on accident and emergency services for minor self-inflicted injuries was noted.

Conclusions:

• A nurse-led pathway is an effective model for managing patients who self-harm in mental health settings.
• This intervention can improve patient outcomes and staff attitudes while optimizing resource utilization.
• The project received the Nursing Times emergency and critical care award in 2014, highlighting its success.