Suicide assessment by psychiatric nurses: A phenomenographic study

Document Type

Article

Date of Original Version

3-1-2010

Abstract

Although suicide assessment has been researched, nurses haven't been included in studies nor has this been explored from a phenomenographic perspective. Suicide assessment by nurses was investigated using a phenomenographic design. Data were collected through observations, vignettes, and interviews. Phenomenographic analysis discovered four qualitative differences in suicide assessment among nurse participants: reliance on (1) examples of other suicide cases, (2) intuition, (3) others' assessments, and (4) prior experience. The categories were classified into a three dimensional theoretical structure of suicide assessment: (a) Knowledge, (b) Method, and (c) Reference. Variability in participants' assessments established a structure of suicide assessment that furthers understanding of how nurses assess suicide and provides implications for practice. © 2010 Informa Healthcare USA, Inc.

Publication Title, e.g., Journal

Issues in Mental Health Nursing

Volume

31

Issue

4

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