Nursing- A Personal Story

Introduction

In the past year or so I've been taking care and nursing a 59 year old man called Mr. Brown as part of my training to be a nurse. Mr. Brown suffers from depression and this is why he attends a mental health centre 5 times a week. He has also received a diagnosis of dementia, something which makes like even harder for him.

On top of all that, he's also blind in one eye. Taking care of him is a challenging job due to all these factors and one other factor that can be considered the most dangerous of all- if you don't watch him very well while he eats, he can choke from his food.

Mr. Brown's Needs

As a result of Mr. Brown's condition and ailments, he has many different needs in all aspects: physically, emotionally, mentally, socially and spiritually. First, he needs to have a nurse stay with him at home or be there for him for many hours of the day. It is imperative to be with him when he eats, so in order to do this- I'm living with him for the duration of my nursing him.

The most important thing I have to make sure is that he eats right and does this carefully, and I need to be attentive enough around him in case he chokes. Second, given his dementia and depression, he is often despondent, sad, confused or overwhelmed. He therefore suffers an array of negative feelings and emotions and is also forgetful. These things cause him emotional and mental distress, and part of my job is to be there for him, talk to him and reassure him that everything is alright. Clearly, he also needs professional counselling and that is why he goes to the mental health centre 5 times a week. In order to ease him burden and suffering, it is also important to incorporate him in some social activities, and that is why we go out for walks in the neighbourhood, where he can be around people.

I make sure we stay close to his house so he doesn't get overwhelmed or frightened. Plus, he goes to a support group for people who have dementia and mental disorders such as himself. There he can interact and bond with others like him and this eases his burden very much. Last but not least, I accompany Mr.

Brown to a church that is quite near to his house twice a week. He finds strength and comfort in attending church and this seems to help him cope with the reality of his life and the challenges he faces in his everyday life.

Safety in Practice

In relation to the subject of safety in practice, my overall goal and main responsibility is to provide Mr. Brown with a safe and effective care in an environment (both physical and emotional) that fits his needs and changes according to his needs.

A Holistic care and approach is the tool used to treat patient such as Mr. Brown and this ensures that he is well taken care of in all aspects in his life. In spite of the fact that he goes to a mental health day centre, it's not enough for him as they can only treat him for a part of the day.

This limited availability of mental health services in Ireland means that the role of the nurse is even more crucial and important (IMHC par. 5), and that is why my job is of critical importance to Mr. Brown and other patient like him.

Specific assistance he needs

The specific assistance Mr. Brown needs involves my being with him starting from when he leaves the mental health day centre and until the next morning when he goes back there and also on weekend.

 In terms of safety in practice, the important thing is for all the people and institutions involved with Mr. Brown's care to be in touch with one another and cooperate to coordinate his care and treat him do this with integrity, quality, responsiveness, confidentiality and respect, as mental health services pledge to (NIAMH, 2007).