Problematising autonomy and advocacy in nursing

Area of Science:

• Nursing
• Bioethics
• Healthcare Ethics

Background:

• Patient advocacy is a cornerstone of contemporary nursing practice, emphasized in professional codes and standards.
• The precise understanding and application of the nurse's role as an advocate remain unclear.
• Traditional concepts of individual autonomy may not fully capture the complexities of patient advocacy in nursing.

Purpose of the Study:

• To critically examine the assumptions and influences shaping the nurse's role as a patient advocate.
• To explore the relevance of relational autonomy, from a feminist perspective, to nursing advocacy.
• To problematize traditional notions of autonomy within the context of Western healthcare systems.

Main Methods:

• Conceptual analysis of autonomy in relation to patient advocacy.
• Critique of traditional individual autonomy models in nursing.
• Application of feminist theory, specifically relational autonomy, to nursing practice.

Main Results:

• Traditional views of individual autonomy are insufficient for understanding nursing advocacy.
• Relational autonomy offers a more fitting framework for nurses advocating for patients.
• Assumptions about autonomy in advocacy require critical re-evaluation in contemporary healthcare.

Conclusions:

• The nurse's role as an advocate is better understood through a lens of relational autonomy.
• Feminist perspectives on autonomy provide a more nuanced approach to patient advocacy in nursing.
• Rethinking autonomy is essential for effective nursing advocacy in modern clinical settings.