Learning Objective #1: Describe the need for suicide screening in adolescents and adults across all health care settings

Learning Objective #2: Identify a reliable and valid suicide risk screening instrument that can be administered by registered nurses in an emergency room setting

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Introduction: A pilot study was conducted to detect suicide risk in adolescents and adults presenting to an emergency department (ED), as well as to test the reliability and validity of the 4-item Risk of Suicide Questionnaire (RSQ) developed by Horowitz, et al. (2001). This study expanded the implementation of the RSQ beyond its initial use with children and adolescents with psychiatric complaints seeking treatment in an East Coast pediatric ED to include adolescents and adult patients in a Midwest Level I Trauma Center. Methods: Participants consisted of a convenience sample of 104 ED patients ranging in age from 12 to 82 regardless of chief complaint or psychiatric history. The RSQ was verbally administered by a Registered Nurse to 39 adolescents (12 to 24 years of age) and to 65 adults (25 years and older). Results: Psychometric analysis demonstrated an adequate degree of reliability and criterion related validity for the RSQ. Approximately thirty percent of all patients who participated screened positively for suicide risk. Discussion: Results support the continued use of the 4-item RSQ with all adolescents and a reduced 2-item form of the RSQ with adults presenting with psychiatric chief complaints to determine imminent risk of suicide in patients who present to the ED. Registered nurses in all health care settings, including emergency departments, need to initiate suicide screening and implement nursing interventions directed towards suicide prevention in their daily routines.