The Assessment and Management of Self-harm for Nurses

This session provides an overview of the assessment and management of self-harm in respect of young people who present to the service. It provides guidance on the role of primary care, emergency departments and hospital services. It is based on current guidelines and best practices and informed by a number of key publications by Royal Colleges and NICE. This session follows on from Session 10_002 Introduction to Self-Harm (401-0047), which helps to align attitudes and beliefs for healthcare professionals.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this session you will be able to:

• Conduct initial assessment and treatment for young people who have self-harmed whether in the primary care or hospital setting (risk assessment)
• Be able to undertake appropriate initial management for episodes of self-harm in the primary care or hospital setting (risk management)
• Understand the principle of management of deliberate ingestion and self-poisoning in young people

Self-harm among young people is a major public health issue in the UK. It affects at least one in 15 young people and some evidence suggests that rates of self-harm are higher than anywhere else in Europe. Self-harm blights the lives of young people and seriously affects their relationships with families and friends. It presents a major challenge to all those in services and organisations that work with young people, from community groups and schools through to hospital accident and emergency departments and beyond.