Ready to Prevent? An Analysis of the Approach to Suicide in the Curricula of Nursing Degree Programs in Spain

J Adv Nurs. 2025 Aug 3. doi: 10.1111/jan.70123. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

AIM: To analyse how suicide education is integrated into the curricula of nursing degree programmes in Spain.

DESIGN: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted.

METHODS: A review of 123 nursing curricula and a questionnaire. Data were analysed using IBM SPSS, applying a non-parametric statistical test to assess the presence and depth of suicide education in nursing programmes.

RESULTS: Suicide was typically included in a single module, usually titled Mental Health Nursing, taught in the third year (69%). Overall, 76.42% of programmes included suicide content, dedicating an average of 3.59 h. Teaching was mainly expository, while 27.4% applied active methodologies and 23.3% combined both. Programmes using active methods tended to allocate more hours.

CONCLUSION: The study highlights the need to enhance suicide prevention training in nursing education, both in content and methodology, to better equip future nurses for this critical healthcare challenge.

IMPACT: This study reveals significant gaps in Spanish nursing programmes, encouraging improvements in curriculum design to better prepare nurses for real-world mental health challenges.

PUBLIC OR PATIENT CONTRIBUTION: Although patients were not directly involved, the research is driven by the goal of enhancing care for individuals at risk of suicide by strengthening nurses’ preparedness and response capabilities.

PMID:40755031 | DOI:10.1111/jan.70123