Patient advocacy in the community and legislative arena. Nursing Forum, 45(2), 97-107. 701 S. Nedderman Drive, Arlington, TX 76019 Healthcare Mission and Philosophy: Mercy Hospital Inc. Owing to the fact that advocacy basically entails the practice of persuading an individual or an entity to at least consider one’s point of view, it can be argued that a major nursing role in patient advocacy involves representing the patients in the policy-making process at the community and legislative arenas (Maryland & Gonzalez, 2012). Vaartio-Rajalin, H., & Leino-Kilpi, H. (2011). Have the information patients need or know how to obtain it. Many physicians do not spend substantial amount of time with their patients and are hence unable to understand some patient concerns and needs in the same way nurses do. An advocate is someone who serves as a supporter, partner, friend, confidante, cheerleader and more. Encourage patients to make their own choices about their healthcare. Online Journal of Issues in Nursing, 17(1), 1-1. RN to MSN – Family Nurse Practitioner Online, MSN in Adult Gero. Nurses can respect patients by not talking down to them, literally or figuratively. Nursing advocacy is the practice of promoting patient rights, making improvements in the healthcare industry, and portraying a positive image of the nursing community. American Sentinel. That advocacy involves supporting patients in many ways. The Sentinel Watch: Nursing, Code of Ethics for Nurses. Advocacy for nursing stems from a philosophy of nursing in which nursing practice is the support of an individual to promote his or her own well-being, as understood by that individual. Race, religion, socioeconomic status or other criteria should not be a factor in healthcare. Maryland, M.A., & Gonzalez, R.I. (2012). 817-533-3118 or What does patient advocacy mean? Indeed, available evidence demonstrates that nurses all over the world continue to use their positions in society to influence healthcare policies in terms of advocating for enhanced access to immunizations and funding for education, among others (Maryland & Gonzalez, 2012). Drawing from this description, nurses are better placed to use their role to not only promote and safeguard the well-being and interests of patients, but also to ensure that patients are fully aware of their rights and have unlimited access to the information they require to be able to give informed consent (Vaartio-Rajalin & Leino-Kilpi, 2011; Wilkinson, 2012). Hanks, R.G. According to the Code of Ethics, all nurses must care for patients “with compassion and respect for the inherent dignity, worth and uniqueness of every individual, unrestricted by considerations of social or economic status, personal attributes or the nature of health problems.” Everyone should have equal access to healthcare, and all nurses should adhere to the principle of universal human value. Nurses can act as mediators between patients and doctors who may have overlooked certain patient needs or solutions. In this light, the present paper reviews available nursing literature to provide a well reasoned discussion on the role of the nurse in the continuum of patient advocacy. Consequently, as acknowledged by Kibble (2012), nurses should always expose institutions and practices viewed as unethical or negligent, and also assume an active role in assisting patients to achieve the legal rights in the event that they are treated unfairly or negligently. Although available scholarship shows that nursing advocacy is a relatively new concept (Kibble, 2012), it is evident that the role of the nurse as an advocate in healthcare settings is not necessary new considering that nurses have historically been involved in identifying patient needs and seeking ways to have these needs met (Maryland & Gonzalez, 2012). As such, more research studies need to be undertaken to come up with theoretical applications through which these roles can be effectively internalized in the nursing profession for optimal patient health outcomes. Privacy Policy | Site Map | Course Login | Contact Us. Clinical Journal of Oncology Nursing, 15(5), 526-532. Discover what advocacy in today’s healthcare environments means, and how you can learn to be an effective advocate in your own nursing career. But not all nurses may know exactly what’s expected of them, and process and facility barriers can make advocacy more difficult. If you continue, we will assume that you agree to our The medico-surgical nurse perspective of advocate role. They should encourage others not to discriminate and model this principle themselves. Learn about the UT Arlington Bachelor of Science in Nursing online program. Wilkinson, K. (2012). When it comes to privacy, nurses can discuss private matters discreetly. Nurses must abide by patients’ wishes regarding healthcare choices, and nurses must also remind patients that they have control over their bodies and their care. Minemyer, P. (2016, June 23). Please contact us. Primary Care NP Online, M.Ed. Some of the areas where nurses can advocate for their patients include pain management and reducing physical suffering. This role demonstrates that nurses should no longer blindly obey instructions or orders given by physicians by virtue of the fact that they are active participants in the care process. Nurses must adhere to the Code of Ethics of the American Nurses Association (ANA), which addresses the issue of patient advocacy in nursing. The following are some examples of advocacy techniques and strategies: Advocacy in nursing is very important for quality care and patient satisfaction. Patient advocacy is any activity or behavior benefiting patients, according to Trish Torrey of Verywell Health. We use cookies to give you the best experience possible. Always strive to be the best advocate you can. Everyone deserves access to the same level of attention and compassion. (2012, February 13) RN Central. Patient advocacy in nursing practice: A systematic literature review (Bachelor thesis, Turku University of Applied Sciences, Finland). Patient advocacy is not merely the defence of infringements of patient rights. Nursing World, What Exactly Is Patient Advocacy?
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