Use of a mnemonic to support suicide intervention training for nursing students

Abstract

Recently, there has been an increased awareness of the extent of suicide as a global issue. In the UK, the reduction of deaths caused by suicide is a governmental goal in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, which has led to the development of training initiatives to improve the recognition and management of suicide risk. Since many of the groups of people who are at increased risk of suicide are in contact with healthcare services, nurses will frequently encounter people who experience suicidal ideation. This is recognised in the updated Nursing and Midwifery Council standards of proficiency for registered nurses, which state that nurses in all fields of practice are required to be able to recognise and assess people who show signs of self-harm and/or suicidal ideation.This article explores the use of the mnemonic ‘TIPTOES’ (trauma, intent, plan, time frame, other experience of suicide, encouragement, support recovery) to support nursing students to develop their confidence and competence in suicide intervention.The Scottish Government’s Suicide Prevention Action Plan (Scottish Government 2018) identified the need for ongoing improvement in strategies to prepare and support people working with individuals at risk of suicide. Suicide intervention training is an integral element of pre-registration nurse education programmes, although evidence suggests that nurses often find this issue challenging in practice (Thomas 2017). This article explores how the mnemonic ‘TIPTOES’ (trauma, intent, plan, time frame, other experience of suicide, encouragement, support recovery) may assist nursing students in remembering and understanding the main steps of the suicide intervention process. The article also discusses the wider applicability of the mnemonic, which was developed by the School of Health and Nursing at the University of the West of Scotland, for nurses and other healthcare professionals.