ETOH Abuse
on الأحد، 10 أغسطس 2014
I just wanted to share with you my experience with a patient I had the
last two days I have worked, and get a little insight from all you
nurses out there. First of all, I did not chose to specialize in drug
and alcohol abuse as a feild because I do not like to care for
individuals that suffer with drug and etoh addictions. I also do not
feel I have the level of sympathy for these patients that I should. We
have a handful of chronic abusers that come in, dry out, swear to
change, and three months later they are back again. They mix rehab in
here and there. I am pestimest usually when they tell me they are "never
gonna touch it again"...I don't say so to the patient, and I try to be
encouraging, but I "know" in the back of my mind I will see them again.
I've also experience this with a few family members, and know the
effects it has on the family first hand, which might cause some of my
disdain for caring for people who abuse drugs/acohol.
But, I have had a patient over the last couple of days that makes me wonder. He has abused alcohol since he was a teenager, and he is in his fifty's (although, as goes it with their lifestyle, he's appearance and health makes him appear to be 70 at least). He has been with us for about 2 weeks now, being monitoring/treated because of a very poor cardiac status. I was bathing him the first day, and noted he had large bruised to his back, and lower abd. I asked him about the bruises, and he told me they occured when he was "drunk". This lead to a conversation about the abuse, and he admitted his had a great desire to quit. We talked about it a great deal. Yesterday, we cont talking about for about an hour, and we prayed together about it. He says he knows it will be hard, but he is determined to stop because he doesn't want to die and cont to hurt his family. He truely does seem desperate to give it up. Even says he wished he could remain hospitalized "till he dies" so he won't be tempted. He has even told his friends that he drinks with not to visit him now, or when he goes home. This patient, as far as I know, has never told another nurse he plans to quit (I have asked other nurses), and on some visits he has called a taxi at discharge to take him to the liquor store.
After all the years of abuse, and the state of his health being so poor, should I have realistic hope that he can quit? I have never personally seen anyone be able to do it, but I would really love for this man to be able to do so.
But, I have had a patient over the last couple of days that makes me wonder. He has abused alcohol since he was a teenager, and he is in his fifty's (although, as goes it with their lifestyle, he's appearance and health makes him appear to be 70 at least). He has been with us for about 2 weeks now, being monitoring/treated because of a very poor cardiac status. I was bathing him the first day, and noted he had large bruised to his back, and lower abd. I asked him about the bruises, and he told me they occured when he was "drunk". This lead to a conversation about the abuse, and he admitted his had a great desire to quit. We talked about it a great deal. Yesterday, we cont talking about for about an hour, and we prayed together about it. He says he knows it will be hard, but he is determined to stop because he doesn't want to die and cont to hurt his family. He truely does seem desperate to give it up. Even says he wished he could remain hospitalized "till he dies" so he won't be tempted. He has even told his friends that he drinks with not to visit him now, or when he goes home. This patient, as far as I know, has never told another nurse he plans to quit (I have asked other nurses), and on some visits he has called a taxi at discharge to take him to the liquor store.
After all the years of abuse, and the state of his health being so poor, should I have realistic hope that he can quit? I have never personally seen anyone be able to do it, but I would really love for this man to be able to do so.
الاشتراك في:
تعليقات الرسالة (Atom)
0 التعليقات:
إرسال تعليق