'I can actually talk to them now': Qualitative results of an educational intervention for emergency nurses caring for clients who self-injure

Abstract

Aim and objectives. This Australian study evaluated the effectiveness of a solution-focused education intervention in extending and improving emergency nursing responses to patients who present because of self-injury. Background. Emergency nurses commonly report lack of training and feeling unskilled in managing people who present because of self-harm. Most educational interventions have provided content knowledge, yet rarely have they focused on conveying the value of health promotion strategies such as proactive skills and coping strategies. Design. A mixed method pretest-posttest group design was used. Methods. Nurses (n = 36) were interviewed to examine differences in professional identity, awareness of self-injury and clinical reasoning. Results. The qualitative results are presented in this paper and these showed improvements in knowledge and understanding of self-harm, self-belief in nurses' capacity to positively influence clients and the value of health promotion skills. The intervention produced a positive attitudinal shift towards clients and an expressed intention to act in ways that were more person-centred and change oriented. Conclusions. The solution-focused education intervention appears to show promise as an intervention for enabling nurses to value their unique contribution to providing a health service that is more proactive and health-promoting. Relevance to clinical practice. Interactive education bringing psychosocial skills to technical nursing staff builds confidence, competence and more person-focused care. © 2009 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.