As a nurse, it might be hard to be informed or have knowledge of the patient’s personal family issues. However, in patient interaction and conversation, be aware of words or statements that the patient uses indicating there is drug-abuse in their home. Nurses then should refer patients to valuable resources such as brochures, counseling, or even educating them about preventive steps. Most importantly, show respect and don’t be judgmental about the patient’s situation. Nurses offer support and knowledge, therefore they are a valuable source to the patient.
Source:
Levinthal, Charles F. "Major protective factors for drug-taking behavior among adolescents." Drug, Behavior, and Modern Society. Ed. Stephen Frail. Boston: Pearson Education, Inc., 2008. 20.
You hear about how important it is to have a positive family background, but it's scary to think of how your family can effect whether you get into drugs. It's easy to see how some kids can fall into the wrong crowd and never really get their lives back together.
ReplyDeleteJoshua,
ReplyDeleteFamilies are very important factor in one's life as they grow up, learn, and become the person they develop to be. Communication and education is very important for the family to utilize for their children. The table above does list that having both mother and father living together is a major protective factor, but it doesn’t mean if parents are divorce their children will become drug-taking abusers. What is important is to create a positive home environment, providing support, good education, and many other things.
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ReplyDeleteI'm a Case Manager for JPS Hospital in Fort Worth, and I gotta say in my experience this rings true. Family, or lack therof, can directly and indirectly affect the choices people make.
ReplyDeleteI also agree with the paragraph about being respectful. It's very important as nurses that our personal judgements don't get in the way of patient advocacy.
Hmm, what happened to my last comment?