A critical analysis of home nursin care of drug addiction patients

Abstract

The assistance given to addiction patients has to be of the integrated type, based on human care and nursing interventions aimed at patients, family and community. Our research has been qualitative and participative and purported to analyze critically local and contextual needs of the care offered the drug-addition patient by mental health nurses. The group of 20 participant nurses was purposefully selected, some working at the Psychiatric Hospital “Dr. José Ortega Durán” of Barbula and the Mental Health centers of INSALUD-Carabobo and some as teachers at the Nursing School of the Administration and Community Health Department and to the Clinical and Surgery Department. Results permitted the detection of problematic areas in nursing care of drug addiction patients, and fostered the search for solutions and the commitment to respectful, appropriate and humane interventions. A need for training of nurses in mental care was detected, in order to offer adequate care to drug abusers. The lack of specialized training in this field is limits the possibilities of offering appropriate professional care.