Self-harm and suicide are crucial issues that can manifest in hospital settings, including Med/Surg units, which necessitates a quality improvement intervention to address the potential risk. In order to address the possibility of self-harm and suicide in a Med/Surg unit, the personnel should be able to identify the risk in the first place. It means that the staff needs reasonably accurate predictive tools to monitor and analyze the possibility of suicide in patients. Stewart and Lees-Deutsch (2022) identify as many as 15 prediction tools and evaluate their relative effectiveness. Although none of the tools gives a certain guarantee, the authors’ findings identify that the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale provides a good score in predicting self-harm (Stewart & Lees-Deutsch, 2022). Based on that, one may conclude that using the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale to predict self-harm in patients is the best practice.
There are several reasons to consider the utilization of the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale for self-harm and suicide prediction as an improvement in patient care. First of all, it has been in use since 1959 and has generated considerable evidence in its favor (Stewart & Lees-Deutsch, 2022). In addition to that, Stewart and Lees-Deutsch (2022) find it to be one of the here most effective analytical tools in preventing self-harm in patients within a hospital setting. Admittedly, the authors also point out that it does not suffice on its own and provides the best results when used along with the practitioner’s clinical judgment rather than in isolation (Stewart & Lees-Deutsch, 2022). However, the same applies to virtually any practice, which means it is a universal limitation. Given that the current version Barratt Impulsiveness Scale is comprised of 30 items rated on a scale of 1 to 4, it would be relatively simple to implement by the well-trained staff in a Med/Surg unit. Considering that, one may be reasonably certain that the implementation of this intervention will improve patient care.
Reference
Stewart, E., & Lees-Deutsch, L. (2022). Risk assessment of self-injurious behavior and suicide presentation in the emergency department: An integrative review. Journal of Emergency Nursing, 48(1), 57-73. Web.