Matter of life or death.

Abstract

Should suicide prevention be included in all fields of pre-registration nurse education? The question is up for debate at RCN congress later this month. If the resolution in favour of the move is passed, then the RCN council will be asked to influence higher education institutions to make it a reality. Suicide is ‘everyone’s business’, says Annessa Rebair, who put forward the resolution with colleagues at the North of Tyne branch. ‘My background is mental health nursing and in mental health, suicide is something we talk about,’ she explains. ‘But what about the 70 per cent of people who die by suicide who did not come into contact with mental health services? That is something that bothers me as a human being. ‘I decided to look at what we were doing in education and found that suicide prevention is not on the agenda; it isn’t in the undergraduate curriculum.’ As a senior lecturer in mental health at the University of Northumbria, she has given students the option to attend sessions on suicide. Students, she says, have been keen. ‘When I ask students how many of them have been affected by suicide, around two thirds will raise their hands.’ Ms Rebair recommends the approach taken by the SuicideTALK programme (www.livingworks.net/ programs/suicidetalk): Tell – the person needs to tell someone about their thoughts and feelings. Ask – the nurse should explore the above and ask, directly and clearly, if they feel suicidal. Listen – this may be the first time the person has expressed their thoughts and feelings to anyone. Keep safe – help the person to explore what needs to be done to keep them safe; help them commit to a plan, whether it is seeking immediate help from services or exploring the inclusion of trusted others. The curriculum for pre-registration nurse education programmes is already packed. What should be left out to make room for suicide prevention? ‘That is not for me to say,’ says Ms Rebair. ‘What I am saying is that it should be included. The detail can be worked out later.’ Ms Rebair is a trustee at Papyrus, the charity for prevention of young suicide. She hopes to raise the profile of suicide prevention among all nurses and benefit nursing students in particular. ‘Students are a vulnerable group of younger people,’ she says. Clare Wylie, head of policy and research at Samaritans, says there is considerable evidence Signs that someone is at risk of suicide