During my time at UNE, I had a patient encounter involving a male in their late thirties who came in for acute respiratory failure. This patient was covered in blisters and small scabs, and has a history of drug abuse and drug overdose. The patient came to us overnight, so by morning time when I received him, he was in the beginning of his withdrawal period. This was evident by the anxiety, the constant moving/twitching that they displayed, and the growing aggression and frustration. The patient has also shared that they were not close with their family due to their circumstances, and was currently in between shelters. In terms of the patient’s demographic, this patient was fairly young and a caucasian male, but had poor social determinants of health in regards to housing/shelter, education background, and familial support. The patient also had little finances and was most likely not in the best position economically/fiscally. 

From what I witnessed, the patients’ stay at Maine Medical Center was stressful but I believe that the staff truly did everything that they could to to understand the patient and their situation. When interacting with him, myself and other staff tried to empathize and create a safe environment by asking non-judgemental questions, as well as making sure they are comfortable under their circumstances. I feel like the staff also advocated for the patient by inquiring about their living situation. It was important for the health care team to know that the patient will have a safe place for when they eventually get discharged. I felt that the staff could have been more persistent on drug rehab options, but that was not brought up. Of course, I was only there for the day so it could have been a discussion later on, but even on admission I’ve always thought it was a nurse’s job to ask these hard questions to ensure the patient has these options. It is especially important we inquire about drug rehab too, because it directly affects why they were at the hospital, so in order to prevent readmission, the health care team needs to be proactive. The health system and policy makers need to have more programs in place for these type of patients. It is our job to re immerse our patients into a community that will support them and advocate for them. With such little support this population has received in the past, it is time for reinforcement.