Accident and Emergency Nurses’ Attitudes Towards Patients who Self-Harm

As adapted version of the Suicide Opinion Questionnaire was used to assess attitudes towards patients with deliberate self-harm. Data were collected from 43 registered nurses in the Accident & Emergency department of a major city hospital in Australia. Most nurses had received no educational preparation to care for patients with self-harm. Over 20% claimed the department either had no practice guidelines for deliberate self-harm or they they did not know of their existence. One-third knew about them but had not read them. Older & more experienced nurses had more supportive attitudes that younger & less experienced nurses. Nurses who had attended in-service education had more positive attitudes than non-attendees. (22 refs.)