Emergency!! Or is it?
Every year approximately 800,000 people attempt suicide and 30,000 of those attempts are lethal, making suicide a widespread issue in our country (Giordano & Stichler, 2009). Generally those who have suicidal thought or attempt suicide are sent to the Emergency Department (ED) for treatment (Giordano & Stichler, 2009). This case is an example of a patient Cameron’s, experience attending the ED for suicidal ideations and the resulting unacceptable care. Cameron had been a patient of Hamilton Jones University’s psychological clinic and after consultation it was determined that it was in Cameron’s best interest to go to the Emergency Department. During the visit Cameron had been treated with distain, inadvertently given tips on how to commit suicide, and kept waiting for over six hours before being admitted into the psychiatry wing of Middle Point Hospital.
- Identify how patient flow in emergency departments can hinder the treatment of a mentally unstable patient.
- Discuss the importance of the manner in which patients are treated in all health care facilities.
- Identify and analyze ethical conflicts in making decisions in the emergency departments for treatment of mentally unstable patients.
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Propose and defend a set protocol for treating mentally unstable patients in the emergency department.