The role of psychiatric nurse faculty in establishing a campus suicide prevention program

Suicide among college students has received increased national attention over the past few decades, partly due to the publicity regarding high-profile suicide events on college campuses throughout the United States and its territories. Currently, suicide is identified as the second-leading cause of death in college students. Due to federal legislation such as the Garrett Lee Smith Memorial Act of 2004, many college campuses have been able to establish suicide prevention programs. This article describes how a psychiatric nurse faculty member successfully established a comprehensive suicide prevention program that was initially supported by grant funds from the Garrett Lee Smith Memorial Act.