A. Mcelroy et G. Sheppard, The assessment and management of self-harming patients in an Accident and Emergency department: an action research project, J CLIN NURS, 8(1), 1999, pp. 66-72
The Government, in Health of the Nation (DoH, 1992), set targets for health
authorities to introduce specific interventions intended to reduce the rat
es of suicide in the districts for which they are responsible,.
Those who deliberately harm themselves are an important group for intervent
ions aimed at suicide prevention.
Self-harming individuals are known to seek help from a range of care provid
ers, not just those specifically intended to meet their needs.
Individuals with problems of self-poisoning and self-injury have placed inc
reasing pressure on general hospital staff involved in their care. There sh
ould therefore be adequate services for suicide attempters in every general
hospital.
Policies and protocols must be introduced and evaluated, to ensure that the
self-harmer's experience during crisis is not, a catalogue of unhelpful en
counters.
This paper is an account of an action research project concerned with the a
ssessment and management of self-harming patients in one accident and emerg
ency department.
The project aimed to enhance departmental policies and procedures for manag
ing this group of patients.
Practical problems can inhibit the introduction of even the most desirable
of innovations. Action research provides a wag of overcoming these problems
whilst doing research at the same time.