Engagement between adults in suicidal crises and nurses in mental health wards: a qualitative study of patients' perspectives

To understand how patients in suicidal crises perceive their engagement with nurses in mental hospitals. A qualitative study based on grounded theory was conducted. Semi-structured interviews were used with 11 hospitalised adults living through suicidal crises. The data were analysed by multiple researchers, using the constant comparison method, coding, and memo writing. The core process was: ‘Feeling nurtured through an interpersonal engagement’. This process underpinned two categories: ‘Feeling safe and cared for while struggling to trust’ and ‘Working toward alleviation and change of my suicidal ideation’. The patients valued nurses who integrated caring approaches of building trust, demonstrating compassion, and promoting safety, with healing approaches of helping them to express and explore their suicidal ideations, and develop new insights and ways of coping. This interpersonal engagement could nurture patients' feelings of being accepted and understood, and being hopeful and capable of overcoming their suicidal ideations. The conceptual insights can inform strategies to reframe overly instrumental approaches to prevent suicide and treat suicidal ideation, and instead promote an interpersonal orientation in nursing practice that integrates caring-healing approaches. •Building trust enabled patients to express themselves and their suicidal ideations.•Nurses can nurture patients' feelings of being accepted and understood.•Some patients felt approached by nurses in limited, impersonal, or instrumental ways.•The conceptual insights can promote an interpersonal orientation in nursing practice.