Abstract
Nurses and midwives are the majority of healthcare professionals globally, including Africa, and they provide care at all levels of the health system including community levels. Nurses and midwives contribute to the care of patients with rigid or dogmatic religious beliefs or those with suicidal ideations. This review paper discusses acute and chronic diseases that have suicidal tendencies such as terminal cancer, diseases with excruciating pain, physical disability, stroke, end-stage renal failure, and diabetics who are amputated. It was reiterated that nurses and midwives taking care of these patients should be alert and observant to identify their suicidal tendencies. The paper also discusses religious or spiritual inclinations that negatively affect healthcare access and adherence, especially to biomedical or western medicine. It was emphasized that some religious beliefs do not allow their followers to employ biomedical treatment and nurses and midwives should not impose their faith on patients and their families. The paper ends with a discussion on the specific roles of nurses and midwives in the care of patients with suicidal ideations such as assessment, counseling, administering medication, observation, social interaction, ensuring safety measures, and providing an enabling environment for the family to part of the care and for the observation of religious coping strategies. Nurses and midwives should enhance their knowledge and skills on suicide and increase public education on suicide prevention and identification of those at risk.
Highlights
Nurses and midwives are the majority of healthcare professionals globally (Asamani et al, 2019)
With the acceptance of religious leaders or activities within the western healthcare context in Africa (Asamoah-Gyadu, 2014), it presupposes that spirituality and its accompanying rituals or activities are to be incorporated into care
The stigmatization associated with mental illness (Haw et al, 2013) could lead to patients with psychological problems having suicidal ideations attend general hospitals, and it is possible that known patients with mental illness having co-morbid conditions are admitted to acute care settings
Summary
Nurses and midwives are the majority of healthcare professionals globally (Asamani et al, 2019). With the acceptance of religious leaders or activities within the western healthcare context in Africa (Asamoah-Gyadu, 2014), it presupposes that spirituality and its accompanying rituals or activities are to be incorporated into care. The stigmatization associated with mental illness (Haw et al, 2013) could lead to patients with psychological problems having suicidal ideations attend general hospitals, and it is possible that known patients with mental illness having co-morbid conditions are admitted to acute care settings. Nurses and midwives in acute settings should have adequate knowledge and skills to assess patients to identify those with suicidal tendencies. This paper examines the health challenges that predispose to suicidal ideations, the dynamics of spirituality within healthcare settings, and the role of nurses and midwives in identifying and caring for patients with suicidal tendencies
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