Julie M Pullen
Montana State University College of Nursing, USA
Title: Baccalaureate nursing students’ response to suicide prevention education: A descriptive study
Biography
Biography: Julie M Pullen
Abstract
Internationally, little is known of educational content focused on suicide prevention in undergraduate nursing curricula. Through 2014, there were no known published research studies on implementation of suicide prevention training in a BSN curriculum, despite the need for such instruction as cited by various international healthcare and nursing initiatives. The aim of this multi-method study was to describe senior baccalaureate students’ responses to an evidence-based suicide prevention gatekeeper training program entitled Question-Persuade-Refer which was implemented in a required course. Data were collected utilizing a pre & post-survey questionnaire administered to 150 students in four classes of a psychiatric nursing course from 2012 through 2014. The quantitative results were statistically significant (p<0.000) indicating an overall positive rating of the training. From the qualitative data, the main theme was ‘becoming capable intervening with persons at risk for suicide’. Students responded favorably to the evidence based suicide prevention gatekeeper training program. The training addressed various international suicide prevention strategies and filled a void in nursing curriculum. Moreover, it empowered students to engage in suicide prevention efforts in a northwestern state, which ranks among the highest for suicide in the USA.