Citation

Hicks KM, Hinck SM. J. Am. Acad. Nurse Pract. 2009; 21(8): 430-436.

Affiliation

Gainesville Medical Clinic, Gainesville, Missouri, USA. brucehicks@centurytel.net

Copyright

(Copyright © 2009, American Academy of Nurse Practitioners, Publisher John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1111/j.1745-7599.2009.00426.x

PMID

19689439

Abstract

PURPOSE: To describe the development of a best practice intervention to guide nurse practitioners (NPs) who care for individuals who self-mutilate. DATA SOURCES: The evidence on which the guideline was based includes six descriptive studies and expert clinical opinion articles. The framework for development of the guideline is a systematic process to obtain and analyze the best available evidence, develop a theory-driven intervention, and propose a system for ongoing evaluation of the effectiveness of the intervention. CONCLUSIONS: The guideline is an information sheet, containing the definition of self-mutilation, background of the problem, target population affected, and intervention. The three components of the intervention are (a) the NP's self-evaluation of values, beliefs, and assumptions about individuals who self-mutilate; (b) a focused, in-depth assessment of the client; and (c) therapeutic strategies to address the emotional, social, and biological dimensions of self-mutilation. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: This Best-Practice Intervention for Care of Clients Who Self-Mutilate guideline provides direction for NPs to address a preventable, self-injury behavior effectively. Further study is needed to examine the effectiveness of the use of the guideline and the intervention.

Language: en