AA /NA Observation Reflection Assignment Template

1. Describe what type of AA/NA meeting you attended: group size, composition of the
group members. How did you feel when you entered into the meeting? What leadership
style did you identify in the group leader? How did the members of the group make you
feel? What additional information do you wish you had prior to attending the
meeting? (Minimum 1 paragraph.)
The AA meeting I attended was very large in size; I would say about thirty
to forty people. People of different backgrounds spread throughout the room in a
circle. Older adults and young teenagers, I knew entering the room my experience
at AA would not be dull.
I felt incredibly welcomed, however I cannot deny that I personally felt like I
was encroaching on their meeting. That feeling soon fleeted after we went through
introductions.
The leader of the group had a booming voice that commanded the room,
and background that matched. He works as a correctional officer at the local jail
and shared his experience battling with alcohol addiction in college, drinking an
upwards of thirty beers a day. His leadership style was interpersonal, shining
through in his communication skills and attentive listening.
The members of the group made me feel like my pursuit of nursing was the
right choice; they willingly shared their stories with them, talking about their daily
struggle with addiction.
I felt well prepared for the AA meeting; I have researched addiction as well
as witnessed family members suffer from its tight grasp.

2. Identify 2 Yalom's Curative factors utilized in the group meeting. How did the Yalom's
Curative factors influence the group meeting? Explain how the Yalom's Curative factors
may influence your care delivery in the future (Minimum 2 paragraphs.)
Camaraderie and support were the two curative factors that I noticed were
utilized in the group. Townsend defines camaraderie as “members of a group
provide joy and pleasure that individuals seek from interactions with significant
others” (190). The meeting that I attended, chips were distributed to celebrated a
certain duration of time the member has been sober. Cheering, clapping, and tears
of joy were expressed during this time by everyone in the room; this was not just
a milestone, it was a celebration of living another day. Townsend defines support
as “one’s fellow group members are available in time of need. Individuals derive a
feeling of security from group involvement” (190). AA presents a recovery
opportunity that allows members to develop positive coping skills with the help of
a sponsor. Sponsors are they to celebrate the highs and walk through the lows.
The curative factors will stay with me for the rest of my practice, especially
for group therapy. No matter the numbers, who ever attends, I will have a listening
ear and positive body language to develop a trusting relationship.

3. Description Step 1 in the Alcoholic Anonymous/Narcotic Anonymous. Identify a NANDA

that can be used in your plan of care which correlates with step 1. List 3 interventions
 that can be implemented in your plan of care related to the NANDA. (Minimum 1
paragraph.)
NURSING DIAGNOSIS: Health seeking behaviors related to lack of awareness
about environmental hazards affecting personal health as evidenced by
verbalizes desire for increased control of health (Gulanick, 203).
INTERVENTIONS:
1. Assess the patient’s individual perceptions of health problems (the
patient’s perceived susceptibility to and perceived seriousness and threat
of disease motivates health-seeking behaviors).
2. Determine what state of change the patient is currently (interventions
for change should be matched with the stage of change at which patients
are situated).
3. Identify health goals and areas for improvement (reviewing areas for
potential change can assist patients in making informed choices).
‘We admitted that we were powerless over alcohol—that our lives had
become unmanageable” (AA.org). Admitting defeat and accepting responsibility for
maladaptive coping mechanisms is no easy feat. However, AA is built on
vulnerability, that we are human and we make mistakes.

4. Compare and contrast the utilization of the AA/NA program related to patient outcomes
with an evidence-based nursing journal article from the Nursing Reference Center
(NRC). (Minimum 2 paragraphs.)

5. Did you enjoy this experience? Why or why not? (Minimum 1 paragraph)
This experience will stay with me for the rest of my life. Having seen family
members suffer from alcohol addiction, this spoke to my heart. I found myself
becoming emotional at certain points in the meeting, particularly when members
spoke about the pain they caused their loved ones. If anything, it was a healing
experience for myself and understanding what I need to do in the future to help
heal my patients.