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Advocacy in nursing--perceptions of practising nurses
1School of Nursing and Midwifery, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Queens Medical Centre, Nottingham, UK. amallik@innotts.co.uk
Journal of Clinical Nursing
|July 1, 1997
Summary
Practising nurses often engage in patient advocacy within conflict situations, driven by patient needs and supported by professional relationships. Recognizing the risks of this role is crucial for its sustainability and professionalization.
Area of Science:
- Nursing
- Healthcare Ethics
- Qualitative Research
Background:
- Patient advocacy is a complex role for practicing nurses.
- Understanding nurses' interpretations of advocacy is essential for professional development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore how practicing nurses interpret and enact patient advocacy.
- To identify the triggers, sustaining factors, and outcomes of nurse-led patient advocacy.
Main Methods:
- Qualitative study utilizing focus group interviews.
- Exploration of nurses' personal narratives and experiences with patient advocacy.
Main Results:
- A predominant triadic model of advocacy emerged, involving nurses in conflict situations.
- Advocacy was triggered by patient vulnerability, fear, or rights violations.
- Nurses were sustained by patient recognition, relationships, and moral justification.
- Advocacy actions included direct/indirect means to protect patients or represent choices, with varied outcomes.
Conclusions:
- The triadic conflict model of advocacy presents risks for nurses.
- Professionalization of the patient advocacy role may be necessary.
- Alignment with ethical codes (e.g., UKCC, 1992) is vital for mandatory advocacy activities.