Deeply Moved by an Event That Transpired

¶ … deeply moved by an event that transpired during the course of my nursing practicum that stressed to me that nurses are healers who, in their finest form, approach helping patients holistically, addressing the socioeconomic, cultural, and emotional aspects of their patients as well. During the course of my internship, a homeless patient (we can call him Mr. E) was admitted to the hospital and was subjected to a significant amount of stigma and bias in his treatment from his medical providers due to his housing status. The stigma that homeless persons endure in medical settings as well as in the world at large has been well-documented, but witnessing the experience of Mr. E provided a harsh real-world example of this stigma in action. The response of my preceptor provided a complimentary example of ways in which nurses can directly confront this stigma and act as advocates for patient's rights.

It was clear when Mr. E was admitted that he had not been compliant with the medical regime that had been prescribed to him for a serious medical issue. Mr. E is a 39-year-old male with 8 stents in his heart, indicating that the severity of his medical condition was quite extreme. The prescribed medication is efficient in the treatment of the condition, but Mr. E was clearly not taking it, based on the symptoms he was experiencing at the time of admission. Many of the nurses on the floor on which Mr. E had been staying were speaking poorly of the patient, indicating he had caused his own problems by not taking his medication and taking care of himself When my preceptor and I arrived on the floor and received Mr. E's chart from the night nurse, she spoke of his medical non-compliance judgmentally. No one took the time to find out why Mr. had not been taking his medication.. My preceptor did take the time to speak to Mr. E, however, and discovered that the patient was homeless and unable to afford his medication as it was not covered by Medicare. It is, indeed, an expensive medication but it is essential for Mr. E's survival.

Given the severity of Mr. E's medical condition, his medication is essential to his survival and quality of life, and thus my preceptor took swift and immediate action to address all the constituent parts of Mr. E's dire situation. She contacted the health department and arranged for Mr. E to receive his medication for free, after a 2-hour phone call to ensure the qualification of the patient and his medication. On top of this, she contacted organizations in the community to find assistance programs for people who are homeless and insufficiently houses. She was also able to cover the cost of a taxi for the patient when he was discharged from the hospital. On top of all of this, my preceptor showed remarkable thoughtfulness for the wide range of issues that Mr. E was facing as a chronically ill homeless man. She packed him food and drinks to bring with him upon his discharge so he would not have to worry about where he was going to find his next meal while transitioning out of the hospital. This seemed to be a total embodiment of what it means to be a patient advocate.