Development and implementation of a suicide prevention checklist to create a safe environment.
This study assessed the effectiveness of a suicide prevention checklist in a single hospital developed based on Joint Commission recommendations. In the two years following checklist implementation, suicide attempts decreased by 42% (compared to the preceding two years); the number of patients sustaining temporary or minor injuries also decreased by 57% across the same time period. Survey responses showed that unit nurses felt the checklist list created a safe environment (88%) and that it supported consistent practice (90%) of caring for potentially suicidal patients in nonpsychiatric units.