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Non-suicidal self-injury is a common behaviour in adolescents and young adults, and may be associated with mental health disorders, risk of suicidal behaviour (ideation and atempts), and a need for clinical services. Nurses, in particular those working in emergency departments and mental health setings, have a crucial role in the assessment, treatment and care of individuals who have self-injured. It is essential for nurses to assess an individual's risk of more serious harm or accidental death, regardless of intent. It is also important to understand the variations in non- suicidal self-injurious behaviour in terms of its presentation, features and functions, to provide appropriate person-centred care. Nurses should assist individuals in identifying the triggers or cues for their behaviour, exploring treatment options, and monitoring their behaviour and risk in the long term. This article describes the profile of people who self-injure, and the issues related to assessment and management of such patients presenting in emergency departments. A description of who self-injures and why, and how people self-injure; developmental aspects of these behaviours, including short and long-term outcomes; and the available treatments is presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Practitioners' attitudes to self-injury vary widely. While some healthcare professionals are comfortable providing advice about safe self-injury in the inpatient setting, others believe they have a duty of care to protect patients from harming themselves, including removing all potentially sharp implements and increasing observation levels. This article describes work undertaken at South Staffordshire and Shropshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust to explore self-injurious behaviour in inpatient settings, including staff knowledge and perceptions and service users' experiences. Development of clinical guidelines for safe self-injury is also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

People with personality disorders frequently present to general health services. A large proportion of people with borderline personality disorder will self-injure and seek physical clinical interventions from adult or practice nurses. These patients are often excluded from services and are highly stigmatised both in mental health services and the wider society. This article aims to increase the awareness of borderline personality disorder and self-injury among non-mental health nurses to assist them to work more effectively with patients who present with these difficulties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]