As a Nurse what are Keys to Affective Patient Advocacy
Entering a medical system as a patient is like entering a foreign country as a tourist. From the foreign clothes the patient must don, hospital gowns, to the language they must try to discern, medical jargon. For the patient, the medical system is disconcerting. As a patient, they want a guide to this alien culture to help them when they are sick or to maintain wellness. The key to thriving in this culture, is the nurse who understands their needs, and can assist in communicating these needs to the health care team. In other words, the nurse needs to be successful in her role as patient advocate.The nurse must form a partnership with the patient. She must gain the patient's confidence through the art of therapeutic listening. With each encounter between patient and nurse, the patient's condition should be assessed. When the patient speaks, the nurse must discern if the patient is anxious, fearful, confused, and has knowledge concerning their disease condition, as well as how self aware they are. It can also be a time, to learn of the patient's living arrangements in order, to make safe discharge plans. Often it is the nurse to whom the patient first voices their concerns. When this occurs, the patient must not to feel rushed or judged. The nurse must attempt to clarify anything that is unclear. Whatever concerns a patient expresses are important; these concerns have been spoken for a reason. When taken at surface value, what a patient says may seem trivial; however, there may be a deeper meaning attached to the patient's statement The nurse must listen to both what is spoken and unspoken and look for underlying psycho-social issues that may need to be addressed. Through the use of excellent communication skills, the patient will feel their needs are met; they have been heard being listened and are safe.When other members of the health care team have contact with the patient, the nurse can demonstrate how to have a list of questions and concerns ready to be addressed. She can also show the patient ways to record the answers which are provided by the team. After contact with the other providers, the nurse can further elaborate or educate the patient as needed. Ideally, empowering the patient to speak for themselves is best; however, with time constraints, this usually is not possible at the first meeting. The modeling of appropriate behavior by the nurse, provides the patient with the essential tools, needed to act in a more autonomous manner, in the future.Regardless the setting, be it inpatient services, outpatient care, or as a nurse case manager at an insurance company, the American Nurses Association (ANA) includes advocacy as one of the roles of a nurse. The nurse must take the role of patient advocacy seriously as she strives to incorporate "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... in the care of individuals, families, communities, and populations".
