Patient Advocacy: A Vital Role in Nursing Profession

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Advocacy is a valuable element of the nursing profession. While some may think that advocacy is not a significant aspect of a nurse’s job, it should be made aware that the nurse is most often the primary point of contact between the client and the physician. With this being said, it is consequential for the nurse to develop a high-level of advocating for the clients under his or her care.
The definition of advocacy is the act of speaking on the behalf of or in support of another person, place, or thing. In its simplest form, it means standing up for what one believes in for both self and others. Nurses may act as an advocate for supporting knowledgeable decisions, by acting as liaisons or by interceding for another individual. The objectives of a nurse as an advocate are to notify, enhance independence, and respect the decision of the patient (Cherry, 2017). Simply put, the nurse is most often the go-between or mediator between the healthcare system and the patient. Advocacy is mannered by the nurse’s code of ethics. These codes impact the profession across-the-board. While certain codes may vary from country to country, the central principles are created in the relationship between the nurse and the patient.
It is essential for the nurse to have emotional strength and willingness to perform the needs of patient advocacy. The foundation is the relationship between the client and the nurse. Factors such as integrity and collegiality are examples of what are used in addition to other criteria in client advocacy selection (Vaartio, 2008). It is also important to recognize that nursing advocacy is also a professional strategy that may need to fall outside of the nurse-client relationship sometimes in order to do what is best for the clients’ well

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