Nurses' Social Representations about Elderly Suicidality in Long Term Care Facilities
Author: Amy L. Serna
Publisher:
Published: 2022
Total Pages: 0
ISBN-13:
DOWNLOAD EBOOKThis qualitative study was a modification of a study by Couillet et al. (2017) that explored nurses' social representations of working with suicidal elderly patients in long-term care facilities (LTCs). This study explored the social representations of nurses working with this population in LTCs. Eight nurses participated in the current study, which utilized a semi-structured interview protocol to identify common themes among participants. Four main social representations came out of the responses from participants, including (a) Suicide Risk is Lessened Through Building Relationship and Knowing Patients' Stories; (b) Nurses Have Direct and Indirect Roles to Reduce Risk of Suicide in Elderly Patients; (c) Nurses Respect the Self-Determination of Suicidal Patients; and (d) Risk of Patient Suicide Impacts the Emotional Well-Being of Nurses. Elderly individuals have higher rates of suicide completion (Shah, 2012) and those living in LTCs are not immune. Nurses are frontline caregivers to these individuals and those paying closest attention to what their patients are exhibiting, both verbally and non-verbally. Knowing the social representations nurses hold is important in understanding how their beliefs and attitudes may impact the care provided to elderly patients experiencing suicidal thoughts or intentions. Nurses in this study indicated their support for patients' decisions, while also balancing professional obligations and building relationships with their patients. They described working to intervene and prevent suicide, despite the impact it has on their well-being. Participants expressed that nurses would benefit from further support, including suicide intervention and prevention training, to be better equipped to help their patients.