2023 Volume 32 Issue 2 Pages 41-49
OBJECTIVE: To clarify the current status and challenges of nursing care for drug-dependent patients as perceived by nurses in psychiatric hospitals that do not have specialized wards for addiction treatment.
METHOD: Based on semi-structured interviews with 14 nurses, we conducted a qualitative descriptive study using the KJ method. This method reconstructs information regarding participants’ perceptions and experiences derived from interviews as data, and qualitatively and descriptively structure the data itself.
RESULTS and DISCUSSION: Insights into the essence of how nurses face patients with drug dependence was revealed. Nurses respected the complex feelings and the individuality of patients with drug dependence, and they viewed them as patients—individuals receiving nursing care—trying to regain autonomy. Nurses were highly aware of the difficulties and unique challenges associated with caring for patients with drug dependence who have to deal with the withdrawal symptoms of drug abstinence combined with symptoms of cravings while being unable to express their pain or their difficulties in their lives. Issues such as the need to continue supporting discharged drug-dependent patients through the use of multifaceted interprofessional networks, the need for support that includes long-term educational considerations for addressing the complicated recovery process, and cooperation with the justice system, were identified.
