A college student visits the student health center and tells the nurse that his roommate is talking about killing himself, has given some of his possessions away, and he believes the roommate has a gun
Which of the following actions should be taken by the nurse?
a.
Ask the student why he is telling this story; what does he expect the nurse to do?
b.
Call the police immediately, and have the student tell them the story.
c.
Call the roommate, and set up an appointment for him to come to the student health center to discuss how things are going in his life right now.
d.
Call the roommate, ask if he is thinking of killing himself, and, if so, how is he thinking of doing that?
e.
Immediately locate the roommate, talk to him, and, if the story is confirmed, stay with him until emergency services arrive.
ANS: E
Whenever an individual exhibits suicide warning signs, nurses should refer the person to a mental health clinic or provider as soon as possible. This may involve taking emergency action by calling the local emergency services number in the community and staying with the person until help arrives.
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