A male client is found sitting on floor of bathroom in day treatment clinic with moderate lacerations on both wrists. Surrounded by broken glass, he sits staring blankly at his bleeding wrists while staff members call for an ambulance. How should Nurse Anuktakanuk approach her initially?

Correct Answer: D. Approach her slowly while speaking in a calm voice, calling her name, and telling her that the nurse is here to help her

Ensuring the safety of the client and the nurse is the priority at this time. Therefore, the nurse should approach the client cautiously while calling her name and talking to her in a calm, confident manner. Nursing’s hands-on approach to patient care and our ability to create therapeutic connections with patients enables us to pick up on key cues. Identifying these cues starts with understanding that suicidal behaviors are neither considered an illness nor a condition, but rather a complex set of behaviors that actually exists on a continuum that ranges from ideas/thoughts to eventual actions.

• Option A: The nurse should keep in mind that the client shouldn’t be startled or overwhelmed. After explaining that the nurse is there to help, the nurse should observe the client’s response carefully. The promotion of a care environment that is safe and conducive to their full recovery is essential in carrying out comprehensive care in mental health. The first step is qualified listening, but it cannot be immersed in a bigoted discourse, full of judgment. One must consider that not always the person is willing to express or externalize what they really feel, and so a new challenge to the health professional emerges, which is the careful observation of the reality of the patient and the listening of silence when the person is not willing to talk.
• Option B: If the client shows signs of agitation or confusion or poses a threat, the nurse should retreat and request assistance. For the care to surpass the technical focus, the psychological care and the continuous observation of patients and family members are also necessary, aiming to prioritize the communication in accordance with the qualified listening, as these patients are often insecure. It is important to highlight that all people who attempted suicide should receive professional care due to the emotional fragility in which they find themselves. The competence of the emergency team is saving lives, considering not only the physical aspects but also the psychological aspects involved in the process of caring
• Option C: The nurse shouldn’t attempt to sit next to the client or examine injuries without first announcing the nurse’s presence and assessing the dangers of the situation. There are some essential behaviors that nursing can use to meet a person who attempted suicide or has suicidal ideation, namely: listen carefully, be empathetic, convey non-verbal messages of acceptance, express respect for the opinion of another, talk honestly, show concern, and focus on the feelings of the person. The mere interaction with the patient has a great potential to calm down, prevent, or minimize the severity and intensity of the symptoms. Still, the team should try to establish a bond of trust from the start, whereas, on the other hand, the idea that the patient attempted suicide to manipulate others should be abandoned.