Patient self-mutilation: when nursing becomes a nightmare.

1. Patients who demonstrate self-wounding behaviour require behavioral, pharmacological, and psychotherapeutic interventions to meet their highly complex needs. 2. Nurses caring for patients who wound themselves will experience frustration related to the safety needs of the patients and guilt whenever an injury occurs. 3. Staff members managing the patient who wounds himself or herself need administrative support, education, and counseling to relieve guilt, personal and professional conflict, and stress.