The Problem With Substance Abuse - 1482 Words

Advocating Kathy Merritt Weber State University Advocating Introduction What is advocacy? Advocacy is defined as the act or process of supporting a cause or proposal (Merriam-Webster, 2015) It is working publically to support specific causes, address problems, actively participating in politics and lobbying for a cause/ belief. Vocally working to support individual patients needs or rights, and working to educate the public regarding the cause. Nurses should be observant of patient’s behaviors and sensitive to patient’s communication cues. (Felicilda-Reynaldo, 2015) Substance abuse patients most often deny or downplay that they have a problem. The patient has to be honest with themselves and they have to be the ones who say†¦show more content†¦(Selanders Crane, 2012) As a nurse you have to be able to advocate in being able to address problems. Once a problem or issues has been addressed you have to be able to come up with a strategy to complete the most desired outcome for the patient. We must enable our clients in helping them transition through situations they may have a hard time with. In Knowlden four dimensions of advocacy it describes what nurses should do. First you should be a client advocate. In my interview Nicky works as a board member of NAMI. She supports those who suffer from mental illness to ensure their voices are heard. She is being an advocate for her client in supporting those who she feels that are in need. Second one in Knowlden dimensions is following through or following up. Once we have established this relationship with our client you can work closely to ensure our patients wants regarding treatment or needs are known to the physician and we continue to follow up until they feel all there needs are met. Third dimension is providing resources. As a nurse you can provide the patient with access to any resources that are available in the community. Most patients are not aware of all the resources they have available to them. As nurses we have a lot of different resources we can provide in helping our client get the help they are looking for. Finally the fourth dimension is going above and beyond. As a nurse it is so important that we go