Psychiatric-mental health nurse essential competencies for assessment and management of individuals at risk for suicide

The following essential competencies for psychiatric registered nurses working in hospital settings as a guide for practice are proposed by the American Psychiatric Nurses Association. These competencies are based on a comprehensive review of the extant research literature (both qualitative and quantitative) relevant to assessment and management of hospitalized patients admitted to a psychiatric setting and are adapted from Suicide Prevention Resource Center (SPRC) & American Association of Suicidality (AAS) (2008). Assessing and Managing Suicide Risk: Core Competencies for Mental Health Professionals