NSG 4076 Week 10 Project – Evaluation of Plan Effectiveness Criteria Diagnosis

One diagnosis that has been identified for patients within my chosen aggregate is as follows: Risk for suicide related to alcohol and substance abuse as evidenced by feelings of hopelessness and feelings of despair related to the patient’s inability to control their use of alcohol and other substances (Munn, 2017).

The second diagnosis related to my chosen aggregate is related to alcohol and substance abuse. The diagnosis is Feelings of powerlessness related to episodes of compulsive use, followed by failed attempts at detoxification as evidenced by the patient’s ineffective attempts at recovery and sobriety (Healey, 2013).

Planning

The desired outcome for these patients relating to suicide is a decrease in the number of suicide attempts, as well as success rates. If we can decrease the number of patients who commit suicide, then we will be able to say that the plan of care has been successful in the aggregate. For our plan of care, we would like to see a minimum of a ten percent decrease in suicidal patients admitted to Gracepoint over the next six months.

The plan for this aggregate relating to substance abuse is a decrease in the number of patients who regularly and compulsively use alcohol and other substances. By decreasing the number of patients who are addicted to drugs and alcohol, we will hopefully also notice a decrease in the number of patients suffering from suicidal ideations, as well as suicide attempts. For our plan of care, we would also like to see a decrease in the number of patients admitted to Gracepoint for alcohol and substance abuse by at least ten percent over the next six months.

Interventions

One intervention that we can incorporate into the plan of care is assisting patients with developing healthy coping mechanisms to deal with feelings of suicide (Munn, 2017). During interviews with my chosen aggregate, lack of healthy coping mechanisms has been identified as one of the primary causes for suicidal ideations. By helping patients develop healthy coping mechanisms,, we can help them find an outlet for their feelings in a way that is not harmful to the patient or those around the patient. Healthy coping mechanisms can range from drawing, exercising, reading, writing, and many other things that are not harmful. When patients have an outlet for their emotions, they are less likely to bottle up their feelings of depression, guilt, sadness, and hopelessness until these feelings become an overwhelming burden, leading them to thoughts of suicide (Munn, 2017).

Another intervention that we can employ relating to suicide is to assist patients in identifying the positive things in their lives that they must live for (Munn, 2017). Many patients who are homeless or dependent on mind-altering substances may not be able to adequately see the positive things in their lives without getting someone to help them realize what they have rather than what they do not have. My patients feel as though they don’t have anything to live for until you start talking to them about their family, friends, pets, and any number of positive things in the patient’s life. During your interview with your patients, they often make statements about what is negative and causing their feelings of suicide; therefore, as the health professional, you often need to help direct the conversation in a more positive manner so that the patient is able to see that there is, in fact, a light in their life that they may be overlooking (Munn, 2017).

Drug and alcohol abuse are very serious problems in our country, especially with patients who are homeless or low-income (Healey, 2013). One intervention that we can employ to help patients suffering from these issues is to help the patient identify long-term treatment facilities that will be able to help them detoxify from the substances that they have become addicted to (Healey, 2013). In these long-term treatment facilities, the patient will not only get the assistance that they need to detox from the addictive substances, but they will also get assistance with identifying ways to stay away from these substances in the future, which is crucial to the patient’s future success in refraining from relapse.

Secondly, we can also help the patients identify support systems that they can rely on in times of crisis. Peer groups, family, friends, and coworkers are also imperative parts of helping our patients achieve success in preventing relapses in their sobriety; therefore, we must include these individuals in the patient’s treatment (Healey, 2013). Having people whom you can rely on in times of need is something that everyone needs, but individuals who have issues with addiction need this more than anyone else, in my personal belief. Addiction is one of the worst diseases in our country due to its prevalence in ever