Psychosocial Integrity / Topic 7
Make sure to:
Media reports highlight crises leading to workplace violence and suicide across various socioeconomic groups, with healthcare settings being no exception to these incidents. Therefore, it is important for nurses to identify clients in crisis and intervene effectively to prevent loss of lives through violence and suicide.
In this learning experience, learners will develop knowledge and insights into crisis intervention. This includes a focus on recognizing clients in crisis, assessing the safety of both clients and others, and implementing appropriate intervention strategies.
7.1 Identification of Clients in Crisis
A crisis is defined as an emotionally significant event or drastic change in a person's life status. It represents an unstable and/or critical period where there is a potential for an undesirable outcome (Kaplan Nursing, 2023). Instances of psychological crises can include events like homicide, suicide, and suicide-homicide (Burke, 2023). Nurses can employ both subjective and objective data to identify clients who may be at risk of violent towards others or themselves, including suicide (Burke, 2023).
According to Burke (2023), clients who are at risk for suicide or likely to attempt it often exhibit certain signs:
Furthermore, Burke (2023) notes that clients who might harm themselves or are at risk of suicide often have certain characteristics. These clients are typically:
According to Burke (2023), nurses should be aware that clients with a history of certain conditions or experiences are at increased risk for committing acts of violence, including homicide and homicide-suicide. These clients typically have a history of:
Therefore, it is crucial for nurses to vigilantly observe their clients for these behaviors and characteristics. This vigilance is key to identifying clients who may be planning to commit suicide and/or violence, allowing for timely and appropriate intervention to prevent such occurrences.
7.2 Assess Safety of Client and Others
As they assess the safety of their clients and others, nurses should evaluate the potential for violence in their clients and implement appropriate safety precautions (Burke, 2023). According to (Burke, 2023), clients may be categorized into one of four levels of crisis:
It is important for nurses to prevent psychological crises, such as homicide, suicide, and suicide-homicide (Burke, 2023). These types of crises often stem from unresolved issues and depression. A client may harm someone they perceived to be causing their problems, commit homicide with the misguided intention of saving someone from their own pain and suffering, or commit suicide followed by suicide to escape further pain and suffering. To prevent such crises and ensure the safety of their clients and others, nurses need to be proficient in:
Additionally, nurses must take any threats of violence towards others or suicide seriously and prioritize safety (Burke, 2023). This involves ensuring that:
7.3 Crisis Intervention
In the event of a crisis, nurses should take the following steps:
Additionally, nurses can utilize their understanding of client psychopathology in crisis intervention (Burke, 2023). This involves applying specific knowledge to cater to the unique needs of clients with different backgrounds and conditions, such as:
Finally, nurses should align with the goals of crisis intervention as outlined by Kaplan Nursing (2023), which include:
At the end of this learning experience, the learner will have acquired knowledge in crisis intervention. The primary objectives are to prepare learners for success in the NCLEX examination and to improve their clinical competencies in managing crisis situations.
After reviewing the provided resources, it is important for learners to identify specific areas requiring further improvement. Focusing on these areas will help in sharpening and advancing the necessary skills for effective crisis intervention and professional practice.
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