A valuable step in any policy process is evaluation. A S.W.O.T. analysis examines the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of any program. This can be powerful tool for policy and program evaluation as it is designed to identify any areas for improvement or those that are sustainable (Milstead, 2016). Using the S.W.O.T. analysis for suicide prevention is used as a beginning framework for evaluation (Appendix).
The ultimate goal of any suicide prevention program would be to save lives. Simply put, a strength of the program would involve communities and individuals, resulting in a feeling of connection, self-worth, and value. Interprofessional collaboration will also lead to program success. Primary care physicians need to know of a partnership that they can reach out to for close follow-up for those at-risk patients. Nurses must have a interprofessional relationship to where they know they can speak up for any concern or hesitation regarding patient safety.
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Regarding suicide prevention programs, some of the weaknesses stem from patients’ willingness to seek help, honesty in completion of screening tools, and reaching the underserved community members. Any healthcare team member who completes an assessment tool to evaluate a patient’s risk of suicide or self-harm must be educated and well-versed on key body language cues as well. Some patients may not be openly transparent in their ideations whether passive or active at the time of assessment. Comprehending this, healthcare team members must be aware of other signs and
The Joint Commission added the National Patient Safety Goal: Identifying Individuals at Risk for Suicide (NPSG 15.01.01) in 2007. This goal was directed at psychiatric and general hospitals with patients whose primary complaint is an emotional or behavior disorder, including substance abuse (according to DSM). This goal is directed at both types of hospitals for important reasons; (1) general hospitals do not have an environment that is conducive to the protection of individuals who are suicidal, and (2) psychiatric hospitals are constructed to protect individuals who are suicidal but have a high concentration of suicidal individuals and are not always staffed appropriately. This goal has an intent that basic issues related to suicide
The next educational effort would be the students at all schools with the focus on “health risks and nutrition and knowing what suicide looks like” in your friends or family. During education, the health maintenance and grief resource center would be initiated with location information given to all clinics, dentists, mental health counselors, schools, local hospitals, and churches. This approach to community assessment allows the PHN the understanding of historical trauma, sociocultural, and economic contexts and meaning to create partnerships with individuals, families, groups and communities promoting improved overall health and mental health (Stanhope & Lancaster, 2016). The focus of this program would center around Lake County Montana with adolescent and younger children at the forefront. Outreach, follow-up, and counseling is an impediment to improvement and stabilization for the mental health individual, which could be a risk factor for suicide and other health-related concerns. To assist with this goal, a grant will be required to cover financial needs. For example, The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention’s Research Grants awards monies from 30,000 to 1.5 million for suicide prevention, in 2015 they awarded 17 grantees for studies and programs to prevent suicide (afsp.org). These dollars will assist
This evaluation critique is focused on the article: “An Outcome Evaluation of the SOS Suicide Prevention Program,” by Robert H. Aseltine Jr, and Robert DeMartino. Based on their evaluation, the authors (2004) conclude that the SOS program was successful as “significantly lower rates of suicide attempts and greater knowledge and more adaptive attitudes about depression and suicide were observed among students in the intervention group” (p. 446).
Due to the variety of different programs that were implemented by grantees, there were many different evaluation techniques. Therefore, not all suicide prevention program evaluations were comparable (Goldston et al., 2010). However, these evaluations were helpful in informing changes in programming based on locality. Cross-site evaluations were also conducted under the GLSMA. According to Goldston et al (2010), these evaluations were more thorough, consisting of four main stages. First, evaluators aimed to get a better understanding of the environment in which the suicide prevention programs were being implemented. Next, evaluators examined the development, utilization, and budget allocation of programs and services. Evaluators then looked at key activities related to the implementation of each suicide prevention plan that was developed by grantees in order to receive federal funding. Finally, evaluators examined the impact that the programs had on participants that were considered to be at a higher risk of suicide. These evaluations were primarily used for federal performance measurement and program management. As evidenced by the many methods of evaluation utilized under the GLSMA, it is clear that the effectiveness and feasibility of these services are of high
These studies which included over two thousands participants in aggregate looked at suicide prevention education training, attitudes and competency based training, training aimed at increasing assessment skill and awareness. Questionnaires were use and in others structured interviews were utilized; the results from this program of education were amazing. The participants became more aware of the risk of suicide, were more skilled in assessments and had a more positive attitude towards
Suicide is the second leading cause of death among people age 15 to 34 years of age (Center for Disease Control [CDC], 2015). More than 25% of all high school age adolescents in the United States who took part in a youth risk behavior survey felt symptoms of depression almost every day for two or more consecutive weeks (CDC, 2012). Adolescents who are depressed are at higher risk for suicide. Early recognition and treatment is crucial to preventing suicide attempts (King & Vidourek, 2012). Screening for adolescent depression is an important step in implementing the Institute of Medicine (2001) recommendation for improving safety in health care. In addition, the care provided must be patient centered and equitable. This quality improvement project aims to provide screening for adolescent depression for all patients age 12 years and older during routine well-child visits.
Creating a systems approach to create a zero suicide environment for both healthcare providers and patients worked well for the Ford Health System HMO (Hampton, 2010). They were able to achieve zero suicides for at least one year in their HMO, which is something that everyone should strive for. As the owner of the clinic, I provide the endorsement starting from the very top of the organisation, and since it will be my clinic I will be able to create the appropriate culture. The next steps will be to provide all of the workers training and make sure that they are also on-board with the goal of achieving zero suicide deaths. I will also need to develop the appropriate protocol for myself to follow as well as anyone else that may recognize that a patient is experiencing a suicidal crisis. This could involve ensuring that there are spots reserved in my schedule for people who are experiencing a crisis, so that they can be seen as soon as possible. I could also have referrals available for those who need to talk to someone right away, but when I may not have any availability. Lastly, I will ensure that everyone working in my clinic knows what is expected from them at each position in the clinic (M. Class 3/1). Doing all these individual steps will ensure success as a clinic so that we can work to prevent suicide in all of the
Maine needs a better proactive prevention program for suicide. Maine’s suicide rate among all ages is unreasonably high. It is especially disconcerting to have a high rate among young adults. According to the Maine Suicide Prevention Program, one suicide happens every two days or 180 suicides year in Maine. It is the tenth leading cause of death among all age bracket in Maine. It is the second leading cause of death for ages 15 to 24; and the fourth leading cause in ages 10 to 14. (“Maine Suicide Prevention Program”) There are programs in place to help. They do not seem to be enough.
In 2014, suicide was the tenth leading cause of death overall in the United States. According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH, 2015), there were twice as many suicides than there were homicides. Suicidal ideation (SI), defined as an individual thinking about, considering, or planning their suicide, is established before the act of committing suicide. Research suggests that adverse childhood experiences (CDC, 2015) will put an individual at risk for developing a mental illness that could result in SI and suicide attempt (SA). It is important for the psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner (PMHNP) to recognize the signs of SI and SA while assessing their client.
“The overall goal for the Quality and Safety Education for Nurses (QSEN) project is to meet the challenge of preparing future nurses who will have the knowledge, skills and attitudes (KSAs) necessary to continuously improve the quality and safety of the healthcare systems within which they work”("Graduate KSAs," 2014 para.1) In looking through the competencies that this statement embodies, I have chosen the competency of safety. This competency is defined as minimizing the risk of harm to patients and providers through both system effectiveness and individual performance (2014). The topic I have chosen to discuss in regards to safety is the role that the Pediatric Nurse Practitioner (PNP) plays in the recognition and the treatment of teen suicide. According to the National Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance survey (2013) suicide among teens and adolescents is a major health problem. It is the 3rd leading cause of death in 10-24 year olds in the United States. In the survey, 17% of students reported seriously considering suicide in the 12 months prior to the survey (Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 2013). With these reported numbers in the pediatric population, it is of vital importance that the PNP as the primary care provider (PCP) knows how to appropriately screen for, refer and treat this patient. This paper discusses the suicidal teen and the role of the PNP to promote the
When looking at all these factors overall, it is concluded that “these inmates were in distress at the time of their suicide attempts” (Suto & Arnaut, 2010, 307). “The decisions to attempt suicide were preceded by a series of difficulties that drained the inmates’ ability to cope. Inmates overwhelmingly indicated that they wanted to talk about their problems” (Suto & Arnaut, 2010, 307). All these findings lead to the conclusion “that nonmedical solutions that boost inmates’ coping abilities also need to be implemented in any effective suicide prevention program” (Suto & Arnaut, 2010, 307).
This week clinical I felt better prepared than I did with my first week. I was able to focus a lot more on interpersonal skills and develop therapeutic relationship with my patients. In terms of Mental Status Examination (MSE), this assessment provided me with a helpful base of information from which to observe changes, progress, and monitor risks. Especially, suicide risk assessment is a gateway to patient treatment and management. The purpose of suicide risk assessment is to identify treatable and modifiable risks and protective factors that inform the patient’s treatment and safety management requirements. I got insight into how important it is to document suicide risk assessments with sufficient information. Documentation of suicide risk assessments facilitates continuity of care and promotes communication between staff members across changing shifts. It is easy for suicidal patients to “fall through the cracks” of a busy psychiatric unit that has rapid patient turnover of admissions and discharges, and mostly during shift change. Asking question such as “What is your view of the future?” or “Do you think things will get better or worse?” helped me to elicit important information regarding patients suicidal ideation. Additionally, how my patients expressed their hope about the future assisted me to identify, prioritize, and integrate risk and protective factors into an overall assessment of the patient’s suicide risk and include in MSE.
Because I work in an hospital that cares for populations at great risk for substance abuse and untreated mental issues and disorders, I get to see patients that have, or at some time will try to commit suicide, I would like to take this opportunity to learn how to properly assess the community, to help those in need, and to educate their families and friends to look for, and recognize signs that can prevent suicides, toward this end, it is important that I have the necessary knowledge to assimilate the information in this study, in a manner that will provide greater benefit not only to my
Research and psychological studies show that suicidal behavior stems from at least one or more mental disorders that are treatable. Individuals with suicidal behaviors often feel hopeless which contributes to these behaviors and can lead to suicide attempts or succession. Recognizing these behaviors can save someone’s life, being compassionate, empathetic, and proactive can greatly reduce an individual’s suicide behavior. The goal is to recognize these behaviors and get help for these individuals quickly.
Working with a client who reports suicidal ideations can come in different forms, but can potentially lead to a crisis if left unaddressed. Monaghan and Harris (2015) discussed suicide intervention from the beginning of a therapeutic relationship by building a working and trusting relationship, collaborating with the client, conducting regular risk assessments, involving social support, and establishing a specific intervention style. There are three specific intervention styles were reported by Monaghan and Harris (2015): solution-focused therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, and dialectical behavior therapy. Solution-focused therapy helps the client focus on the solution rather than the problem, strengths rather than weaknesses, and the positives instead of the negatives. Cognitive behavioral therapy helps the clients alter their way of thinking about their situation with the goal of altering the client’s feelings and behaviors. Dialectical behavior therapy challenges dysfunctional behaviors to help the clients change patterns of behaviors that are not