I am alone: the experience of nurses delivering care to alcohol and drug users

Abstract

The objective of this study was to determine the experience of nurses who care for drug-dependent patients at a medical service of a public hospital in Chile. This is a qualitative study of phenomenological trajectory according to Martin Heidegger’s framework. The study question was, What is the experience of taking care of drug-dependent patients admitted to your service? Nurses’ reports were based on the concept of situated phenomenon reference by Joel Martins After analyzing the interviews, we identified three themes that expressed this phenomenon: speaking about the drug-dependent patient, taking care of patients in an adverse environment, and dispelling the fear of care. This study shows the need to train health care professionals on dealing with alcohol- and drug-dependent patients in order to overcome prejudices and improve care delivered to these patients.