Personal Narrative: An Interview With Mr. Hicks

There is this patient, we will call him Mr. Hicks. He has been admitted to the hospital more than 100 days in a six month period. The staff all hate seeing his name on their list of clients to treat for the day. You see he is thought of as a lifer, someone who spends their life in one hospital to the next. His main health problem is that he needs dialysis, but refuses to take responsibility for himself. I feel the hospital, society, and he has let himself down. Mostly we as members of the healthcare team and society by enabling him to keep being admitted and not take responsibility for himself. I often wonder, does he enjoy his life? Is this what he wants to do with the rest of his life? Does he have any future things on his bucket list? I am a nurse. As a nurse caring for this patient my hands feel tied to help with any of these things I wonder about with Mr. Hicks.
In my eleven years of nursing it seems to make sense. Why not sit down with Mr. Hicks and let him know it is not OK to live from one hospital from the next. A nursing staff member could reach out to the individuals at the hospital bedside, a catalytic moment where more patients are amenable to change. By meeting with patients to listen to their stories and provide support. Nurses can further help patients identify their own goals and assisted them in navigating through medical and social systems to achieve those goals.

Mr. X had many opportunities such as these throughout his many admits. Yes he had a fully paid for apartment a dialysis chair for three days a week, but somehow he would what would seem, purposely screw things up. The number of Mr. Hicks is growing. Nurses are growing weary of trying to treat the Mr. Hicks along with the truly sick