Emergency Nurses’ Lived Experiences of Communicating with Teenage Suicide‑Attempt Patients: A Descriptive Phenomenological Study

Teenage suicide attempts pose complex clinical and relational challenges for emergency nurses, who must provide rapid, life‑saving care while simultaneously engaging in sensitive communication with distressed adolescents and their families. This study aimed to explore the lived experiences of emergency nurses in communicating with teenage suicide‑attempt patients in order to illuminate key challenges, strategies, and implications for practice. A descriptive phenomenological design was used. Purposive sampling recruited registered nurses from emergency departments of tertiary hospitals in China who had direct experience caring for teenagers following suicide attempts. In‑depth, semi‑structured interviews were conducted and audio‑recorded, and data were analyzed using Colaizzi’s seven‑step method to identify the essential structure of the phenomenon and ensure rigor. Four major themes emerged: entering the teenager’s crisis world while managing one’s own emotional reactions; navigating triadic communication among patients, families, and multidisciplinary team members; striving to build trust and convey respect in the context of time pressure, stigma, and cultural expectations; and seeking organizational support, training, and clear processes to sustain effective therapeutic communication. These findings informed the development of a clinical relational coordination model that describes the communication links and relational processes among emergency nurses, teenage patients, families, and other professionals. The study concludes that emergency nurses face substantial communication and emotional demands in caring for suicidal adolescents and often lack structured preparation and system support. Targeted communication training, supportive organizational structures, and strengthened relational coordination may enhance the quality and safety of emergency care for teenage suicide‑attempt patients.