James Donaldson on Mental Health - Medical emergency: Suicide rate for female nurses twice the rate for all U.S. women

By Piper Guinn Nursing is a calling, a profession centered on helping people heal, live and thrive.

However, the job also has a growing dark side – those dedicated to caring for others are dying by suicide at alarming rates.

Between 2017-2018, the suicide rate for all nurses was 16.8% higher than that of the general population, according to a cohort study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

When accounting for gender, the difference was even greater — the suicide rate among female nurses was twice as high as the general female population.

An alternate study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association analyzed multiple healthcare worker groups and found that nurses were second only to healthcare support workers — such as medical assistants and health aides — in rate of death by suicide.

Though data for recent years has not yet been widely studied, the American Academy of Nurses Expert Panel highlighted the increased stress and workload placed on nurses during the COVID pandemic.

Increased expectations for nurses since the pandemic might increase the risk of suicide within the profession, according to the panel, heightening the need for preventative action.

Multiple mental factors contribute to suicidal ideation — stress, depression, anxiety and burnout — all of which nurses can face.

The job exposes workers to a fast-paced environment, long hours and secondhand trauma, said Stacy McColl, an outreach specialist with the Texas Peer Assistance Program for Nurses.

“Every profession has stress, but nursing has a unique mix when it comes to occupational stress.