The Adoption of the Risk of Suicide Questionnaire (RSQ) in the ED: Utilizing the Iowa Model of Evidence-Based Practice

The Adoption of the Risk of Suicide Questionnaire (RSQ) in the Emergency Department: Utilizing the Iowa Model of Evidence-Based Practice

 

Purpose:

The purpose of this presentation is to increase awareness to the scope of suicide and the need for better suicide risk assessments in acute clinical settings through the implementation of the Risk of Suicide Questionnaire (RSQ).

Target Audience:

The target audiences of this presentation are nurses, physicians, social workers, nurse practitioners, ED technicians, and other healthcare practitioners who care for suicidal patients.

 

 

Abstract:

Suicide is a major health problem that can have lasting harmful effects on individuals, families, and communities. Patient suicide has ranked in the top five most frequently reported sentinel events in health care. The exact number of suicide patients is unknown and is most likely underreported due to lack of consistent screening and the variability of instruments used across institutions nationwide. Screening suicide in the emergency department is very challenging because of the complex nature of the work environment, a wide array of patient manifestations, and multiple patient populations across the lifespan. Several suicide screening instruments are available but may not be feasible to implement in the emergency department.

The Risk of Suicide Questionnaire (RSQ) is a brief, valid and reliable instrument which is well-suited for the emergency department. The instrument is reliable in both pediatric and adult population. The objective of this quality improvement project is to evaluate the adoption and implementation of the Risk of Suicide Questionnaire in a Magnet community hospital using the IOWA model of evidence-based practice as a framework. A Suicide Task Force Team was formed which composed of ED nurses and ED technicians. The team developed the policy. All nurses and Techs were educated on the RSQ instrument. Results support a 93% adoption of staff in the first month of implementation. Results from this project have the potential to improve evaluations of patients at risk for suicide and increase patient safety through implementation of suicide precautions in the emergency department. Implementation of suicide precautions increased from 67% to 95%.