Let’s Get the Lingo:

Here’s the scenario

Person:  Me being the staff nurse and my patient

Environment: Possible a place where communication takes place – imagine that we were at the park sitting in a bench while staring for other patient doing their own task.

Health: Establishing deeper meaning in the circumstances for both nurse and    patient

Nursing: Communications and actions aimed at building rapport.

              Way back 2007, After I finished my nursing degree I had this chance to be an immersionist in one of the private rehabilitation center in Pasig City, but my major role there is to be a clinical psychologist at the same time psychiatric nurse (though they have separate psychiatric nursing unit there). Luckily I encountered different cases there even schizophrenic patient. By destiny I had this chance to have a one on one interaction with a teenage girl let’s call her Betchay (not her real name) at an early age of 14 she’s already a drug addict, chronic alcoholic, gambler, smoker and disobedient. Upon taking her history while establishing rapport, she told me she was discharged in a rehabilitation before and again re-admitted. An abandoned child with no longer have relatives to take care of her in home, though she is receiving financial support through rehab center. She is also a victim of physical abuse. According to her, the rehabilitation is her home and her family is her co-patient. During interaction you can feel all her pain and sufferings, at first she is trying to hide her feelings, she used to act like as if she’s strong and she’s telling she’s the head of their gang group outside. She loves what she’s doing outside prior admission. Betchay had this manifestations before of feeling of hopelessness and depressions. She claimed that there was a time she had this thought of committing suicide. Extreme anguish and hatred for herself and for her parents. Her parents both in the US according to her having their own family. Upon observing her during the typical day of their daily activities she loves to yell, to give reprimand to the newly admitted patients, seems like she’s diverting all her inner feelings to her surroundings. And upon talking to her Betchay always telling me.. “Who cares? Nobody cares.. ganito talaga ang buhay eh sa ito natapat sakin eh.. “ Unlike those patients in the hospital physically ill and lying on their bed due to diseases and illnesses. It is same like as they are also patient suffering so much emotionally, spiritually and mentally. Not also on their normal state of health. And as a nurse our nursing action and intervention would be, firstly, we have to help them bring back to reality. Secondly, help them to alleviate their pain and sufferings mainly on their emotions and their way of perceiving life. Not to waste it into a non-sense and worldly things and vices. Next is to give empathy and sympathy for patient like them have to realize the true meaning of life, accepting that they are also ill and need to be treated therapeutically in accordance to their case both medical and psychological treatment.