According to the American Nurses Association (ANA) Code of Ethics (2005), \"Nurs

Question

According to the American Nurses Association (ANA) Code of Ethics (2005), "Nurses are required to be an advocate for patients to have a voice in regards to their care. Nurse managers must make sure staff members have a voice in the work place that will empower them to advocate for patients as well as themselves."

Think of an experience in your professional career where, as a nurse leader, you needed to advocate for your patient, a peer, or yourself. Share you experience and the outcome. From a Christian World View, would you have approached it differently? If so, what would you change?

Explanation / Answer

Nurses Advocating for Patients:

Every nurse has the opportunity to make a positive impact on the profession through day-to-day advocacy for nurses and the nursing profession. The advocacy practices discussed are applicable whether advocating on one’s own behalf, for colleagues at the unit level, or for issues at the organizational or system level. Nurses play many vital roles in the care of their patients, including that of advocate. The nurse may be in the best position to act as the liaison between patient and family and other team members and departments.

The American Nurses Association (ANA) defines nursing as “the protection, promotion, and optimization of health and abilities, prevention of illness and injury, alleviation of suffering through the diagnosis and treatment of human response and advocacy in the care of individuals, families, communities, and populations.”

The ANA addresses the importance of advocacy in its Code of Ethics, including Provision 3: “The nurse promotes, advocates for, and strives to protect the health, safety, and rights of the patient.”

Three core values mainly help in nursing advocacy:

1. Preserving Human Dignity: Every person has the right to be treated with honor and respect. Patients and their families are often confused, anxious and frightened. At such times, they need an advocate to help navigate the unfamiliar healthcare system and facilitate communication among caregivers. This may include interpreting tests, procedures and instructions from physicians in terms the patient can understand and follow. It also may be necessary for nurses to educate the patient on the need for tests and procedures, as well as to provide emotional and physical support during the process. Nurses are in a position to integrate all aspects of the patient’s care and ensure that concerns are addressed, standards of care are met and a positive outcome for the patient remains the goal of the healthcare team.

2. Patient Equality: As the healthcare profession evolves in response to funding changes, technological advances and governmental regulations, disparities in the provision and delivery of care may become more defined. The ANA Code of Ethics directs nurses to practice “with compassion and respect for the inherent dignity, worth, and uniqueness of every individual, unrestricted by considerations of social or economic status, personal attributes, or the nature of health problems.” Nurses must provide care for all patients with the same degree of compassion and professionalism, without allowing personal biases to influence their practice.

3. Freedom from Suffering: Many nurses list a desire to help others as a major factor in their decision to enter the profession. Helping to prevent or manage suffering whether physical, emotional or psychological is perhaps the most important aspect of care from the patient’s perspective.

The role of advocate can require a nurse to act as a communicator, liaison, educator, interpreter and caregiver. In order to be an effective advocate, the nurse must be considerate of patient privacy issues and regard patient and family information as privileged and confidential. Nurses must adhere to organizational, state and national laws when discussing or disclosing healthcare or other personal information.

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