The role of the nurse and nurse leader in patient advocacy is to protect the health, safety, and rights of patients. Nurses serve as the voice for vulnerable populations.
According to the American Nurses Association’s code of ethics,
“the nurse promotes, advocates for, and strives to protect the health, safety, and rights of the patient.” In short, advocacy is the act of fighting for the rights and fair treatment of an individual or group.
In this case, as stated in the ANA code of ethics, a nurse’s role as a patient advocate is to be a voice for the patient when needed.
Nursing: The Most Ethical Profession in America
For 18 years, according to a poll from Gallup, nursing has been renowned as the most ethical profession in America, with ratings steadily continuing to increase. Often serving as the mediator between patients and doctors, or even patients and families, nurses have a significant role in ensuring fair and proper treatment.
Build Trust With Patient Advocacy
A study showed that patients maintained the most contact with nurses during a hospital stay. This means that nurses build patient relationships and understand patients’ needs, beliefs, and potential barriers. In return, nurses are excellent advocates for patient rights.
Patient Advocates As Educators
Receiving medical care can be a scary and confusing time. The nurse’s role as a patient advocate comes in during this period. They can relay to family and friends, with consent, the situation at hand and answer questions regarding patients’ care if the patient is unable to. Nurses can educate patients on their care and answer questions or find answers. Advocacy serves many physiological, psychological, and emotional purposes.
Basically, nurses are superheroes.
Kindness, Openness, Assistance, & Safety
The role of nurse leaders in patient advocacy serves a similar but different purpose. Nurse leaders liaison between patients and the nursing team, among other departments. During leader rounding, they may facilitate an open discussion around the patient’s experience and address any physical, emotional, and safety concerns. They act with kindness and ethical knowledge of nurse care to ensure that patients are satisfied. Nurse leaders must also understand the institutional practices and policies to solve problems and provide proper treatment.
Patient advocacy focuses on the patient’s individualized needs and assists them in meeting goals. Managing a patient’s suffering is always at the frontline of care. Pain can look different from person to person, and communication is not always accessible during times of crisis. A nurse and nurse leader take the time to understand and listen to the patient to ensure they receive the best treatment.
ANA Code of Ethics for Nursing Advocacy
In provision 3 of the ANA’s code of ethics, multiple subsections lay out more specifics in nursing advocacy.
3.1 Privacy
Nurses must ensure that the healthcare system does not invade a patient’s privacy. This includes ensuring the environment the patient is in can maintain confidentiality.
3.2 Confidentiality
A patient’s rights may be compromised if patient information is disclosed to those who are not directly involved in their care. A nurse and patient develop a level of trust that is in jeopardy if strict confidentiality guidelines are not followed.
3.3 Protection of participants in research
Individuals have a moral right to choose whether to participate in research or not. The nurse’s job is to thoroughly make sure the patient understands the research study details to make informed consent. If applicable, nurses must also educate patients on the guidelines and policies of research and answer any questions.
3.4 Standards and review mechanisms
Nurses must ensure that care is provided by capable people and understand the policies and procedures put in place by the healthcare institution. Nurse leaders are specifically responsible for advocating for patients’ proper treatment and continuum of care by advising their team. If medical errors are made or risk is prevalent, they have to relay the information to the necessary teams and departments to minimize any possibility of harm to the patient.
3.5 Acting on questionable practice
Nurses must be alert to recognize any questionable medical practice and advocate on the patient’s behalf when necessary, and established protocols for reporting must be followed. Nurses are educated and well-versed in the nursing code of ethics to recognize any questionable practice.
3.6 Addressing impaired practice
Nurses and supervisors must recognize if anyone providing patient care appears to be impaired to prevent any harm to the patient. The nurse or supervisor must address this based on policies and procedures and advocate in the patient’s best interest.
Conclusion
Well, there you have it! Nurses and nurse leaders alike all have a set of defined roles as a patient advocate within the scope of healthcare. Nurses are respected frontline workers that we all need, especially when patients need a voice. The patient is their own expert, and as an advocate, nurses can be great listeners and caregivers alike.
