Nurses who treat patients at risk for suicide are likely to have a patient commit suicide during their years of practice. The American Association of Suicidology estimates that between 5,000 and 10,000 clinicians will have this experience annually. Yet, for even the most experienced clinicians, the suicide of a patient can have a long-lasting emotional impact. Personal and professional reactions may be both frightening and humbling for clinician survivors of suicide.
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