Gaps in Suicide Assessment and Management Among Accident and Emergency Nurses in Kenyatta National Hospital: a Qualitative Study

AbstractThis qualitative study was conducted using key informant interviews with Accident and Emergency and Mental Health staff at Nairobi ’s Kenyatta National Hospital to examine the current state of suicide assessment and management care at the Department. The interviews probed whether protocols were in place and if the key personnel were aware of these procedures and to what extent evidence-based protocol was used in managing suic idal patients at A&E. We interviewed eight key informants who rotated in the Accident and Emergency Department and Mental Health Department, and they were interviewed using a semi-structured interview guide. We included clinicians and administrators in addition to the nurses. Using NVivo Pro 11 software, themes and subthemes were derived with the final code system having patient assessment and patient management, as well as protocol and care gaps and further recommendations as the key themes. With regard to patient assessment, all the interviews identified stressful life situations, substance use, and violence as being the dominant presenting complaints in patients with suicidal tendencies who were seen at A&E. Five out of eight interviews with our key respondents mentioned depressive symptoms as a clinical presentation for suicidal patients. Six out of eight respondents also shared that there were no protocols for assessing and managing suicidal patients with some reporting that they used what they learnt in Nursing and Medical School ...
Source: Global Social Welfare - Category: International Medicine & Public Health Source Type: research