The attitudes of casualty nurses in Taiwan to patients who have attempted suicide.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: The aims of this study were to investigate a sample group of casualty nurses' attitudes towards patients who have attempted suicide in the middle of Taiwan and to identify factors contributing to their attitudes towards attempted suicide.

DESIGN: A quantitative study using a questionnaire containing 22 statements with a five-point Likert-type scale was developed from the Domino's Suicide Opinion Questionnaire, and from a comprehensive analysis of research literature on the area of attitudes towards suicide.

METHODS: The questionnaire was distributed to casualty nurses (n = 155) to investigate their attitudes toward patients who have attempted suicide. Seven large hospitals in the middle of Taiwan were targeted.

RESULTS: This sample group of casualty nurses from the middle of Taiwan held positive attitudes toward patients who have attempted suicide. In addition, three statistically significant differences were identified: (i) The higher the level of nursing education the more positive the nurses' attitudes towards patients who had attempted suicide. (ii) The casualty nurses who did not have a religion held more positive attitudes towards suicidal behaviour than those who followed a religion. (3) Casualty nurses who had suicide care experience with 1-10 patients had more positive attitudes towards suicidal patients than nurses who had nursed above 10 patients who had attempted suicide.

CONCLUSIONS: The results indicated that casualty nurses in Taiwan require further education on and training in all aspects of suicide to foster more positive attitudes towards patients who attempt suicide.

RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: The role of casualty nurses is pivotal to the front-line care of people who are suicidal and their attitudes play a major part in the provision of effective care.