Challenges faced by childrens nurses when caring for young people with self-harming or suicidal behavior

12^th Nursing and Healthcare Congress

October 03-05, 2016 Vancouver, Canada

Gemma Fisher-Robbins

Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust, Leicester, UK

Posters & Accepted Abstracts: J Nurs Care

Abstract :

It is evident from research I have conducted that the number of children and young people, being admitted to children�s wards presenting with self-harm/suicidal behavior is increasing. This creates a new challenge for children�s nurses posing the question: How prepared children�s nurses are to care for this patient group? It is apparent from my research that caring for young people presenting with self-harm/suicidal behavior results in children�s nurses becoming anxious and uncomfortable. A key element identified, as a cause for this reaction in children�s nurses, is the apparent difference between children�s nursing and mental health nursing. Despite children�s nurses demonstrating a good knowledge base relating to mental distress, their perception of their ability to provide optimum care was lacking. Children�s nurses often feel that their knowledge, skills and understanding of caring for a young person in mental distress is inadequate. This presents a challenge in practice raising the question of whether these are isolated findings, or a national phenomenon? My research to date has uncovered the attitudes of children�s nurses locally towards caring for children and young people presenting with self-harm/suicidal behavior, along with the strategies children�s nurses can adopt to provide better care for this patient group. My aim is to conduct further research within this area to highlight the extent of the problem, whilst addressing actions required to reduce this current healthcare issue.

Biography :

Email: gemma.fisherrobbins@gmail.com