Supporting Nurse Leaders to Recognize and Intervene in Team Members' Suicidality

Area of Science:

• Healthcare leadership
• Mental health awareness
• Suicide prevention strategies

Background:

• Healthcare professionals, including nurses and support staff, exhibit a higher suicide risk compared to the general population.
• There is a recognized deficit in specialized suicide prevention education for nursing leaders.
• Elevated suicide risk necessitates enhanced mental health support within the healthcare sector.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of an educational program on nurse leaders' self-efficacy and knowledge regarding suicide prevention.
• To assess the effectiveness of role-playing and a suicide prevention toolkit in enhancing leaders' ability to support suicidal team members.

Main Methods:

• An evidence-based educational program incorporating role-playing and a suicide prevention toolkit was implemented.
• Surveys were administered pre-intervention, immediately post-intervention, and at 1-month follow-up to measure self-efficacy and knowledge.
• Knowledge was assessed using a validated questionnaire, and self-efficacy was measured with the General Self-Efficacy Scale.

Main Results:

• Sixty nurse leaders participated in the training, showing significant improvements in mean self-efficacy scores post-intervention.
• A significant reduction in incorrect knowledge questions was observed post-intervention, indicating enhanced understanding.
• 100% of participants recommended the program, reporting increased confidence in supporting employees with suicidal ideation.

Conclusions:

• The study underscores the critical need for comprehensive suicide prevention training for nursing leaders.
• Implementing mandatory training and competency assessments for new leaders is recommended.
• The developed program is adaptable for various nursing roles, from prelicensure to senior leadership.