You are a school nurse in a middle school when Jamal comes to the nurse’s office requesting medication for a headache. You notice that his eyes are red, and it appears as if he has been crying. You ask if he is hurt, but he denies it. The phone rings in the office, and a teacher tells you that a female student has approached her concerned about Jamal. The teacher tells you that Jamal sent her a text message saying that he flunked his biology examination and wished he was dead.
- If Jamal shared with you a suicide plan that includes harming himself with a weapon, what would be your first nursing intervention?
- What educational program would you develop for the middle school to educate students about ways to cope with stress and how to respond if a friend needs support?