Collaboration, Innovative Use of Technology Help Psych NP Students Hone Suicide Prevention Skills As any behavioral health provider can attest, suicide is a major public health concern in the United States. Suicide rates in this country have climbed by more than a third over the past two decades, and death by suicide stands as the second-leading cause of death of young people ages 10-34. A new collaboration between the University of Rochester School of Nursing and the Department of Psychiatry takes aim at that rising tide with an innovative approach to educating students in suicide prevention. In virtual simulation settings with standardized patients, UR Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) students can build on their competencies specific to suicide assessment and prevention and augment skills they use in
clinical settings with patients. Susan Blaakman, PhD, RN, PMHNP-BC, FNAP, director of the PMHNP program, along with Joanne Bartlett, MS, RN, PMHNP-BC, instructor of clinical nursing, Julia Mitchell, PMHNP-BC, instructor of clinical nursing, and Kate Tredwell, DNP, RN, PMHNP-BC, assistant professor of clinical nursing, worked with Wendi Cross, PhD, professor of psychiatry to offer standardized patient experiences in which students and trained clinical actors would participate in scenarios that have been well tested and modified for PMHNP competencies in a telehealth format. “COVID-19 has shown us that educating students in a telehealth model makes sense,” said Blaakman. “The likelihood
UR School of Nursing Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner students, such as Erica Boccia (top left) and Princewill Fonta (bottom left) honed their clinical competencies and bolstered their suicide assessment skills by conducting telehealth visits with standardized patients. The collaboration with the UR Department of Psychiatry allows PMHNP students to use simulation and technology to improve their ability to engage with patients experiencing psychosocial issues and stressors. 20 NURSING 2021 Volume 1
