The fact that they attempted suicide. If you don't value your life enough, why are you expecting someone else to?
*sigh*
That's not at all what suicide is about. It's not that they don't value their lives, but rather suicide is a response to pain. When pain exceeds the available coping mechanisms, suicide and self harm become an option. Severe low self esteem, coupled with depression and emotional pain can creating a system to thinking that leads the patient to believe that those they care about would be better off without them, that their lives are meaningless, pointless and wasted on them. It's not that they don't value the life, but rather they feel that they have wasted it. Paradoxically it might even be a result of actually valuing their life and wanting a pain free existence. It has very little to do with not valuing their life, or actually wanting to die.
But even if those who are suicidal don't value their lives, and even if they would want nurses to look after other patients first, I'd say they are in a clear need of someone valuing their life, because if the patient doesn't value their life and the nurses don't either what message is the patient receiving? You're right to devalue your own life, you're not worth our time. You should've just died and not burdened us with your crap.
The mental illnesses that precipitate suicide it are critical, and often very acute. They are just as much in need to immediate and due care as any other patient. Of course if their life isn't in immediate danger and they're being properly supervised and there are other patients in a more immediate danger, then the nurses should focus on those patients, but only on a matter of danger to life priority. NOT because the suicide patient is less important.
So people who smoke or eat too much junk are less valuable than people who have a very strict diet and exercise every day?
Good point, the only priority in medical care is on a immediate danger basis. Who is in the most immediate danger? It should not matter whether that person is nutritionally neglectful, suicidal, old, or poor, or even healthy, young and rich.