Intervention for a Runaway Mother

Assignment Details

Read the following case scenario:

You have a 15-year-old teen mom who self-presented to your primary care clinic with her 18-month-old baby girl. You have seen the mom several times in your clinic for various health issues. This is the first time you are treating her baby. You ran into her in the hallway. She reports that she is worried about her baby because she is not drinking her formula. She was holding her smiling and somewhat energetic baby. You noted that the baby has rhinorrhea, but otherwise appears healthy. Before you can see her, your nurse manager (NM) reports to you that her mother had reported her as a runaway. Her mother is now on the way to the clinic. Your NM also informs you that he had called the police.

Post a substantive 250- to 400-word response to the following

• What would you do in this situation? Select a specific ethical principle or principles from this week’s readings, and explain how it applies to this case study to support your decision. Generalized and layperson’s terms of ethics will not be accepted.

Intervention for a Runaway Mother

Helping mothers to navigate motherhood may be challenging when they are young and traumatic. According to Bounds, Edinburgh, Fogg, and Saeywc (2019), intensive therapeutic care is very critical in helping mothers with running away episodes intervene in their condition more effectively. As a primary health care provider, I would organize an individual therapy session involving the client, a family member, and local authority to assess the patient and advise her accordingly. The first piece of advice would primarily focus on finding out the main cause of runaway. This would involve asking the patient where she is currently living, who is providing the meals, and the history of her run away episodes. Collecting extensive information concerning the runaway is vital as it assists in identifying the risk factors such as intra-familial abuse, sexual exploitation, and the teen mother’s safety while away from home (Bounds et al., 2019). In the current case, the mother complains that the baby has difficult in feeding. However, the objective assessment indicates that the child has rhinorrhea. As such, it is critical to advise the mother on how she can manage this condition as it may be the cause of feeding issues. I would start by teaching her on the importance of obtaining healthcare regularly rather than being resentful and running away. Some of these skills include how to effectively book for appointments, access information about health insurance and using public transportation to get assistant form health providers.  I would also discuss with the client’s parents or relatives about the risks involved with teen runaways. According to O’Brien, Moynihan, Saewyc and Edinburgh (2019) runaway victims should seek support from the local authorities, health and social network. 

Furthermore, there are significant measures that the mother should take to feed the baby appropriately. She should manage the presenting congestion symptoms to ensure that the child is more comfortable and easy to feed. She can use the suction bulb, a soft rubber instrument that can sip the mucus from the nose before feeding. Moreover, the mother can keep the child clear congestions by providing warm births.

Another important thing is to maintain a regular feeding program and check for wet diapers. This should go along way with removing all possible pollutants of allergens from the home’s air. Addressing the leading cause of runaway and helping the mother to feed and take care of her baby will help to stop future runaway episodes.

References

Bounds, D. T., Edinburgh, L. D., Fogg, L. F., & Saeywc, E. M. (2019). A nurse practitioner-led intervention for runaway adolescents who have been sexually assaulted or sexually exploited: effects on trauma symptoms, suicidality, and self-injury. Child abuse & neglect, 90, 99-107. doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2019.01.023

O’Brien, J. R. G., Moynihan, M., Saewyc, E., & Edinburgh, L. D. (2019). Featured intervention for exploited and trafficked youth: the Minnesota Runaway Intervention Program. Child Abuse & Neglect, 104141. doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2019.104141