Connecting the Dots, Dissertation – Abstract Example

Executive summary

It has been discovered that the incidences of suicide are on the increase in the United States which leads to the suicidal patients seeking help from emergency department. Unfortunately, nurses in emergency department fail to attendant to the needs of those patients because they lack the required expertise to asses and treat them. Therefore this study is aimed at giving the insights on how the emergency departments are key in the identification and assessment of individuals with suicidal behaviors and how proper education to the emergency department nurses will help improve the nurses’ attitudes towards patients who present suicidal ideations.

From the literature review suicide has been defined as a deliberate act of wanting to take ones own life. This act is rampant in the youth and aging parents and it is mainly triggered by incidences like financial constraints, unemployment and death of the beloved one among other issues. This paper has explored different strategies which the emergency departments should put in place so that its staff is able to identify by using the best assessment tools the patients who are at the risks of committing suicide and take appropriate actions.

For instance, provision of tools, education and training to the emergency department staff will help them effectively identify and manage the patients who are at risk for suicide. However, implementation of the new suicide assessment tool, education and training of the emergency department staff has faced many challenges ranging from lack of information technology to lack of enough finances attached to new systems implementation. Although the implementation of improved practices in emergency department on the assessment and treatment of suicidal patients is accompanied with high financial resource, it is significant in ensuring the patient safety. Finally it is worthy noting that the implementation of the four-item risk of suicide assessment tool will allow the nursing staff to identify quickly the individuals who are at imminent risk of suicide and take necessary step to help them.