What is advocacy in nursing? Advocacy in nursing involves adhering strictly to professional ethics that protect human dignity, promote the patient’s best interests and involve the patient as a collaborative participant in their own care. Nurse advocates serve as their patients’ voice, as well as their educator.
As a nurse, you aren’t only a healthcare provider. You’re also there to lend a sympathetic ear, provide emotional support, connect patients to needed resources and speak up on their behalf when something isn’t right. In short, patient advocacy is an essential pillar of the nursing profession. Advocacy in nursing can play an important role, no matter a patient’s health condition or if they are hospitalized or treated and then discharged.
At Marian University, our Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) program implements a rigorous curriculum designed to graduate competent, compassionate patient advocates. As you prepare to become a patient advocate, you should develop familiarity with nursing ethics, the role of nursing advocacy and its benefits.
What Is Advocacy in Nursing?
As an advocate, nursing professionals behave or speak up in ways that directly benefit their patients, particularly patients who are not able to protect their own interests or speak up about their needs. Nurses do so in a manner that adheres to their professional code of ethics.
The American Nurses Association’s (ANA) Code of Ethics includes multiple principles that relate to patient advocacy. These include:
- The nurse’s overarching commitment is to the patient.
- Nurses provide care in a way that respects human dignity.
- Nurses protect the rights of patients.
- Nurses safeguard the health and safety of their patients.
- Nurses strive to improve the ethical commitment of the workplace in a way that supports safe, quality care.
- Nurses preserve the integrity of the nursing field and collaborate with others to protect human rights and reduce healthcare disparities.
Nurses advocating for patients should enact and follow these ethical principles throughout their careers. Advocacy begins when a nurse evaluates the patient’s level of health literacy, medical history and unique values and needs. Then, nurses can work with patients to identify their goals and understand and select their treatment options. Nurses will then collaborate with other providers to develop a care plan that promotes the patient’s best interests, protects their values and preserves dignity.
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The Importance of Patient Advocacy
Why is patient advocacy in nursing important? Not every patient in need of healthcare services has a high level of health literacy or is capable of speaking up for their own needs. In fact, navigating a healthcare environment and making care choices can be stressful and overwhelming for patients. A nurse advocate serves as a de facto guide, helping patients receive the care they need and ensuring they are able to make informed decisions.
Primary Responsibilities of a Nurse Advocate
Advocacy in nursing is a major responsibility for registered nurses (RNs). Some of the primary duties of serving as an advocate as part of a nursing role include:
Patient Education
Before patients can make informed decisions for their treatment, they must first understand their diagnosis, treatment options and potential risks. Patient education is an integral component of the nursing profession.
It isn’t always sufficient for a nurse to simply explain the diagnosis and discuss the treatment options. Some patients may not understand something but might be unwilling to admit they don’t understand. Because of this, nurses need to check for understanding, such as by implementing the teach-back technique.
Protecting Patients’ Rights
Patients have the right to informed consent through patient education, but that isn’t the only patient right that advocacy in nursing protects. Patients also have the right to safeguard their private health information and have their treatment wishes upheld.
In some cases, a nurse may need to help a patient communicate with a family member about their treatment decisions. Family members don’t always agree with patients, and nurses serve as essential liaisons. Similarly, nurses can collaborate with other professionals to ensure the patient’s wishes are respected.
Connecting Patients to Resources
Patients are often unaware of the resources available to them. In some cases, nurses can connect patients to hospital resources that will support their well-being. At other times, a nurse may collaborate with a social worker or a case management professional to help connect the patient to community resources. These might include caregiver support networks, medical transportation, financial aid or home health/hospice agencies.
Speaking Up About Issues
One of the most difficult aspects of advocacy in nursing is speaking up when a patient’s rights are threatened, or their safety may be in jeopardy. Nurses are responsible for double-checking the work of other clinicians, such as physicians and specialists, and voicing their concerns if anything appears amiss.
For example, a patient may be prescribed a medication that could interact with another medication. Prior to administering the second drug, nurses need to voice their concerns with the prescribing physician.
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Administering Respectful and Collaborative Care Plans
Another aspect of nursing advocacy is enacting care plans in collaboration with the patient and other members of the care team. Collaboration is key because it ensures that the patient’s treatment preferences and needs are reflected in the care plan. Nurses also need to ensure that the care plan supports the dignity of the patient and is respectful of their values and background.
As a Marian ABSN student participating in clinical rotations, you will gain firsthand experience administering care to patients across multiple populations and practice areas under supervision.
Benefits of Patient Advocacy
Patient advocacy in nursing offers a multitude of benefits, both for the patients and for nursing professionals. It also benefits the healthcare organization as a whole.
Benefits for Patients
The primary beneficiary of advocacy is, of course, the patient. Patients benefit by having their needs and wishes heard and respected. This is particularly important for patients from historically underserved populations, who may struggle to have their voices heard. It’s also critical for patients whose first language is not English, as nurse advocates ensure they receive appropriate medical interpreting services that uphold their rights.
Other benefits for patients include:
- Feeling empowered and capable of navigating the healthcare system
- Becoming an active participant in their own care
- Making informed treatment decisions
- Understanding their care plans
- Having their care coordinated across multiple providers
- Being connected to needed resources
- Having their rights as patients protected and their safety promoted
Benefits for Nurses
A commitment to nursing advocacy is advantageous for RNs. Some of the benefits for nurses may include:
- Improved job satisfaction
- Promotion of a positive, patient-centered work culture that prioritizes safety and quality of care
- Protection of safe working conditions and improved policies and procedures
- Development of stronger patient relationships
- Elevation of the nurse’s professional reputation
Benefits for Healthcare Organizations
Patient advocacy can promote better outcomes for patients, improve their satisfaction with their treatment and boost patient retention. All of those results are good news for healthcare organizations. Additionally, advocacy can reduce the risk of medical errors, improve patient safety and enhance the quality of care, which further serves to support the facility’s reputation and track record.
Become an Effective Nurse Advocate at Marian
Marian University is committed to preparing our nursing students to become excellent practicing nurses and effective advocates for their patients. With our values-based education, we teach students to preserve the dignity of the individual, become responsible stewards of the nursing profession and approach patient care with respect for the whole patient.
Our ABSN program has two locations: Indianapolis, Indiana, and Nashville, Tennessee. We offer three start dates per year in January, May and August. You can graduate in as few as 16 months upon successful completion of any required prerequisites. If you have a non-nursing bachelor’s degree or previous college experience, you may be eligible to apply to our accelerated nursing program as an ABSN student or through our transfer pathway. Contact an admissions advisor today to get started.