Sjuksköterskors upplevelser av att vårda personer med självförvållade skador

Sammanfattning: Background: Nurses in healthcare will encounter patients who for various reasons have harmed themselves. All persons seeking healthcare must be treated with respect and dignity. But patients who seek care for self-inflicted injuries often experience negative encounters, which discourages them from seeking healthcare in the future. A lack of nursing care can mean unnecessary suffering for the patient. Aim: The aim of this study is to describe the nurses’ experience and attitude towards caring for people who have deliberately harmed themselves. Method: A literature review was performed where 16 scientific articles were included. Two of the articles were of a mixed method, seven were of a qualitative approach and seven were of a quantitative approach. The databases used during the literature search were PubMed, Cinahl and PsychINFO. The articles were published between 2012 and 2023. Results: Nurses rarely have previous education on the subject but desire education to fill skill gaps. Relevant education produces several positive effects such as better attitude and higher competence. The experience of caring for this specific patient group leads to a better attitude and self-confidence, but no or little experience leads to the opposite. Nurses emphasized collegial support and the help of a multi-professional team to manage the patients. Patients repeatedly seeking care as a result of self-harm evoked feelings of frustration, anger and powerlessness. Conclusion: Nurses need more education, exposure, and support from colleagues to counteract a negative attitude. The study is broad but gives a clear indication that further research in more defined operational areas is needed.