Ryan Swabb, RN works at a drug rehabilitation center thatprovides individual and group counseling for clients are in theprocess of controlling or stopping drug addiction. Tonya Lamburg isa 16 year old mother of a 2 year old son who currently lives withhis grandmother. Ms. Lamburg entered the drug rehabilitation centerwith the goal of ending her problem with alcohol and cocaine. Mr.Swabb is assigned to her case.
At their first meeting, Mr. Swabb assesses Ms. Lamburg’s levelof drug abuse and readiness to change. Ms. Lamburg has been at thecenter for a week and has not used any drugs since checking in. Shehas quit cold turkey but now ”feels bad and shaky” and went to backto using to stop the withdrawal symptoms. She tells him she has nomoney. I cannot pay for food for my baby. Everything goes forbooze. I dropped out of school when I got pregnant. Everywhere Itry to work I get fired. I decided to get help when I saw my babyget into my coke stash.”
If you were the nurse working with Ms. Lamburg, what steps wouldyou take to help her succeed in meeting her goal of becomedrug-free? Depending on her response, what your next steps be?
