Counseling Suicidal Patients About Access to Lethal Means: Attitudes of Emergency Nurse Leaders

Despite expressing high levels of support for the acceptability and effectiveness of lethal-means counseling, high proportions of emergency nurse leaders expressed skepticism regarding the preventability of suicide, a finding consistent with previous work. Our results support the need to address and modify misperceptions about prevention of suicide in any efforts for widespread implementation and dissemination of lethal-means counseling.Contribution to Emergency Nursing Practice
- Examination of ED nurse leaders across the United States Mountain West region found general support for lethal-means counseling for patients at risk of suicide.
- Skepticism about the preventability of suicide highlights the need for better, focused suicide prevention training of nurses during training and through continuing education.
- Efforts to implement, sustain, or improve lethal-means counseling practices in emergency departments can be more successful if they engage nurse leaders.