Professional Advocacy In Nursing

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

The article summarizes that the role of an advocating nurse is to be able to communicate with the patients about their patient rights, support any decisions made, be the voice for patients with ineffective communication skills, and to protect the interests of the patients. The aim of the study was to explore the perspectives of nurses in patient advocacy and how it is related in the socio-cultural aspect. The literature also mentions that the concept of care and quality of patient care is recommended by nursing organizations. Patient advocacy is a duty that the advocating nurse expresses when it pertains to the rights of patients, and includes preserving the human dignity of the patient. Patient advocacy is when information, skills, and resources are used to voice decisions to improve the quality of care for those individuals who are unable to effectively speak for themselves.

It is also important for nurses to respect and encourage a patient advocacy and continue to ensure the choices of their patients are honored and respected despite of their opinions or beliefs on about them. Another aspect or concept of nursing that is extremely important is communication. In nursing, communication is a critical part of ensuring patients are cared for appropriately. The way one communicates can have a large impact on how one is viewed professionally, and on patient care. Communication is also vital aspect of nursing and it can influence the type of care given and the care that is received.

Behaviors which reflect altruism are showing an understanding of cultures, beliefs, and perspective of others, advocating for patients, taking risks on behalf of patients, and mentoring other professionals. Autonomy according to Taylor is the right to self-determination (2008). The nurse must respect the patient’s rights. The nurse should listen and act according to the patient’s wishes and needs not bullying him into cooperating with his treatment plan. The nurse shows such value by planning care in partnership with patients, honoring the right of patients to make decisions about healthcare, and providing information so that patients can make informed choices.

“Care can be considered simply an ethical task and thus a burden of one more thing to do, or it can be considered a commitment to attending to and becoming enthusiastically involved in the patient’s needs” (Applying the Ethics of Care to your Nursing Practice, page 116). In this model, nurses need to be knowledgeable about human behavior and responses to health problems, individual needs, how to respond to others, and the strengths and limitations of the patient and family. The nurse also comforts and offers compassion, and empathy to the patient and family. There are many concepts in Jean Watson’s Theory of caring. The three major concepts that will be discussed are: transpersonal caring relationship, caring occasion/caring moment and the ten caritas processes.

personal values, such as respect, responsibility, and obligation are dependent on the moral attitude of the nurse. Professional attitudes in nursing comprise of inclinations, feelings and emotions that conform to their principles and serve as the basis for their behavior. Professional behavior or behavioral professionalism however is behaving in a manner to achieve optimal outcomes in professional tasks and interactions. Nurses must always be committed to the client at all times. In case the family and community are included in decision-making, she must be accommodative to their ideas whether even in cases where she does not agree.

The term nursing ethics means that the nurse has an obligation judge what is right and wrong in her or his duties as guided by the profession or the moral principles that govern the profession and as prescribed by the professional body. Nursing ethics initially encompassed virtues that were desired in a nurse. At the time, these virtues included physician loyalty, commitment to high moral character and obedience. Evolvement of nursing profession gradually made nurses embrace patients’ advocacy. As patient advocates, nurses work as part of an interdisciplinary team to provide patient care.

According to Potter and Perry (eds 2009), Accountability refers to responsibility of the nurse professionally and legally for the provided care. Trusted professional relationship is strongly built by effective communication. Communication with patient, family and multidisciplinary is essential for quality nursing care to the client. Collaboration with the multidisciplinary team enhances the quality of care significantly. Often nurse acts as a liaison between patient and other health care members in that team.

In conclusion, respecting a patient when doing nursing care and maintaining their dignity is very important as it affects their health outcomes and help maintain and improve the standards and principles of nursing practice. Furthermore, the ANMC has formulated domains, specifically the Professional Practice domain, which guides nurses in their practice to provide holistic and quality nursing care that is done with respect and dignity. As a future registered nurse, I know that I need to be aware of this issue so that I can be considered a competent nurse. To do this, I need to be sensitive in carrying out my nursing interventions adequately and respectfully so that I can help maintain their dignities. Finally, I believe that the proper way to care for patients with respect and dignity is to take care of them as I would like to be taken care of.

Evidence from this review suggests that the development of trust is a relational phenomenon, and a process, during which trust could be broken and re-established. Nurses’ professional competencies and interpersonal caring attributes were important in developing trust; however, various factors may hinder the trusting relationship. Trust in nursing Trust is identified with a variety of settings and applications. Trust is regarded as the foundation of any therapeutic relationship, and an essential element of nurse–patient relationships. The concept applies to nurses in professional settings as it is considered inherent in the relationship between a nurse and their patient, (Britcher, 1999) and the patients’ family.