Nurse Advocacy Research Paper

Nursing Advocacy

As an Associate in Science in Nursing (ASN) prepared nurse making the transition to a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), the nursing responsibilities for advocacy will increase, as well as the nurse’s role as an advocate. Personal priorities will also change. The nurse’s role as a patient’s advocate will evolve as the nurse move from the ASN to the BSN role. The nurse may face certain challenges when advocating for the patients. It is important for the nurse to take an active role as a political advocate. The nurse can also empower patients along the way.

The Nurse spends a considerable amount of time with their patients. She has been molded into the role of advocating for the patients. Along with skills and knowledge

the nurse is equipped to effectively decipher doctor’s notes, diagnoses, and diagnostic procedures that even the youngest of patients can understand. The nurse exhibit compassion, she takes pride and care in the wellbeing of their patients. The knowledgeable nurse can assist patients at an individual level, or out in the community. The nurse as an advocate is responsible for the patient’s safety, delivery of care, collaborating with other medical professionals, as well as moral and ethical obligations-being a patient advocate. According to the Code of Ethics for Nurses “advocacy is the fundamental aspect of nursing practice (Jones & Smith, 2014, p. 20)”. The nurse is required to advocate for their patients meaning to support and protect their patients. The nurse must protect the patient’s legal rights to privacy and decision to participate in medical research. The American Nurses Association’s (ANA) Code of Ethics for Nurses states that “the nurse promotes, advocates for, and protects the rights, health, and safety of patients (American Nurses Association [ANA], 2015, p. 13)”. On a day to day basis, nurses knowingly and unknowingly advocate for their patients. Patients and their families entrust nurses with their care therefore nurses need to be involved in every aspect of the patient’s care, to make sure that the care is patient specific and their needs are met. “The key to success in advocacy is the knowledge, skills, and abilities that develop through nursing practice and continuing professional education (Laskowski-Jones, 2012, p. 955)”.
Some personal priorities for the BSN nurse include enhancing and developing critical thinking, and leadership skills.

Having a BSN degree helps to heighten critical thinking skills. Lane & Kohlenberg states that the baccalaureate nurse exhibit highly developed skills such as critical thinking, leadership skills, and professionalism are essential to patient satisfaction and overall outcomes (p. 220). Leadership skills will be effective in delegating and managing complex situations as a result improving the quality of care of the patient. The transition from an ASN to RN brings greater responsibility in being a patient’s advocate. The BSN nurse is held at higher standards due to their advance level of education. “The ability to advocate may have a relationship with the level of education and specialized nursing education increased this ability (Hanks, 2010, p. 99)”. The BSN nurse can also contribute to the reduction of health care cost by teaching patients with chronic illnesses preventative measures and at risk behaviors, thus promoting healthy lifestyles and the reducing recurrent hospital visits and

stays.
When nurses choose to advocate for their patients, sometimes they are faced with certain challenges. Challenges such as obstruction may come from family members, the medical team, or even the patient. In this case the nurse must ensure that the lines of communication are open between the nurse and the patient. Schwerdt et.at, states communication between the a nurse and a patient is a shared process that forms the basis for the professional relationship that is foundational for enhancing patient care and affecting patient outcome (Schwerdt, Crouch, & Cabibbo, 2011, p. 14)”. The communication between the medical team and the nurse must also intact where patients’ needs are concerned. Limited communication with the physicians can also be a problem thus interfering with the patient’s care. The nurse should also see to it that the rights of the patients are not being violated. Another challenge that nurses may face when trying to advocate for patients is the lack of support from other nurses, health care team, and management. It is important that nurses are supported when caring for patients and have open communication with the healthcare team when organizing care for positives outcomes.
It is important for nurses to take an active role as a political advocate whether it is for an individual, community or a population.

Nurses need to speak up about health care policy changes, become politically engaged and active in current events such as elections. “Knowledge about the policy process and active participation in local, state, and national political arenas are necessary for nurses being successful in influencing policy and legislative decisions (Primomo & Bjorling, 2013, p. 1)”. Everyday nurses are faced with the issues regarding patient outcomes, safety and satisfaction plus other workplace issues. If nurses advocate for better working environment changes can come. The role of nurses is advocating for the patients due to their ethics and professional background. Any issue that directly affects the nursing profession comes through the legislative process. Therefore nurses must take a stand and get involved by giving sitting down with legislators and let their voices be heard. “The experiences of many nurses practicing in the real world of healthcare are motivating them to take on some form of an advocacy role in order to influence a change in politics, laws, or regulations that govern the larger health care system (Michigan Nurse, 2014, p.

18)”.
How can nurses empower patients? Nurses can empower by helping to give them a voice so they will not feel disconnected, powerless and helpless. The nurse will ensure the patient has a way to communicate with the health care team on a daily basis. The nurse will also see to it that the patient is aware of the plan of care. “The Joint Commission requires all hospitals to provide an explanation for the plan of care, treatment, and services for each patient (Schwerdt et al., 2011, p. 1)”. The nurse will make sure to update the whiteboards that are in each room with information such as room number, the current date, day of the week, physician’s, RN’s, charge nurse’s, and patient care assistant’s names. Written on the board will also be, expected daily plan of care for communication between the patient and the healthcare team. A dry erase pen is also available for patients to write questions for the team. According to Schwerdt et al the use of the custom designed whiteboard allowed health care providers to assess the patient’s plan of care and remedy situations that needed to be addressed in a way that patients felt their voices were heard (p. 15). The patient can be at ease when they know what is going on with their care and is also able to communicate with the team therefore nothing will be forgotten or missed. “By understanding and identifying that, which is most important to the patient, a visual reminder is created for nurses, other healthcare professionals and family members listen to the voice of the patient (Schwerdt et al., 2011, p. 14)”.
In conclusion, advocating for the patient is the duty of the nurse. Advanced nursing education is a tool that will improve the nurse’s ability in advocacy, critical thinking skills and leadership roles. It will also help prepare the nurse to become better political advocates in areas that need changes in the healthcare system, and overcoming challenges faced when advocating for patients. The nurse empowers patients with a voice when they are feeling helpless and alone. The nurse keeps the communication between the healthcare team and the patient open. “As we treat patients and nurture them to health, we are perfectly situated to empower them with knowledge that equips them to take ownership of their own health and the choices they make (Diggins, 2011, p. 1)”.