Respond to classmate. Do you agree? Advocacy is a crucial part of…

Respond to classmate.

Do you agree?

Advocacy is a crucial part of patient care in any setting. However, in my opinion, when caring for the seriously mentally ill, this importance is heightened. The bulk of patients I serve are either diagnosed with some form of schizophrenia or bipolar with psychotic features. Being detached from reality and having difficulty communicating their needs makes them more vulnerable than others. Not long ago, I cared for a patient on many different medication trials throughout the years without success. I recommended Clozaril to our provider because I have seen it prove successful in many cases where other medications have failed. The patient was in a group home where medications were dispensed as prescribed. After a few weeks of oral Clozaril, it was apparent that my patient benefited from the drug. However, after discharge from the supervised setting, the patient quickly declined due to difficulties with medication compliance. I notified our provider and recommended the medication be switched to injectable form. The patient has been stable for the past three months with this medication. These issues may have worsened without me advocating for the patient, resulting in another inpatient stay and placement in a group home. We interact with our patients frequently; providers may only see them once every two weeks or less. As nurses, we are often the eyes and ears of our providers, and they usually take our recommendations seriously.