Abstract
When suicide occurs, it is regarded as an adverse event. Often, little attention is given to the nurses who cared for the patients prior to the adverse event. Instead the affected nurses are expected to write statements and incident reports about the adverse event. The aim was to explore the experiences of nurses who cared for patients who successfully committed suicide whilst admitted at a specific general hospital in Gauteng Province, South Africa. A qualitative exploratory research was conducted. Data were collected through in-depth interviews with a purposive sample of six nurses and content analysis was done. Nurses experienced feelings of shock; blame and condemnation; inadequacy and feared reprisal. This study suggests a basis for development of support strategies to assist the nurses to deal with their emotions following experience of adverse events.
Highlights
Introduction and backgroundThe World Health Organization (WHO)’s global report on violence and health indicates that one person commits suicide every 40 s, and that approximately one million people of all ages die from suicide every year (WHO, 2012)
Little attention is given to the nurses who cared for the patients prior to the adverse event
* This study suggests a basis for development of support strategies to assist the nurses to deal with their emotions following patient suicide incidents in a general hospital
Summary
The World Health Organization (WHO)’s global report on violence and health indicates that one person commits suicide every 40 s, and that approximately one million people of all ages die from suicide every year (WHO, 2012). A study on the profile of suicide in South Africa indicate that suicide accounted for 7.7% of all non-natural deaths in South Africa (Alberdi-Sudupe et al 2011). According to Burrows and Schlebusch (2008) 6500 suicides occur annually in South Africa. Gauteng province was dubbed the second leading province in South Africa with regard to high suicide statistics (Uys & Middleton, 2010). There is limited literature on general hospital based suicides in Gauteng province, except for incidents reported on the media
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
