Nursing Advocacy
An advocate pleads, supports, or defends a cause or interest of another person or group. A nursing leader advocates for their employees by taking care of their interests, ensuring their proposals are heard and considered, and defending them where necessary. In many cases, nursing advocacy is understood in terms of advocating for patients and rarely in terms of the nurses themselves and the profession. A nursing leader can advocate that their employees receive necessary working resources and a healthy work environment. They achieve advocacy through a collection of skills, including communication, collaboration, influence, and problem-solving. As part of their advocacy, for example, nursing leaders can make scheduling and staffing a collaborative process to ensure the schedules are balanced and flexible (Nitzky, 2018). Moreover, if the institution is undergoing a workflow change or redesigning their operations, the nurse leader ensures that nursing resources are protected and budgeted adequately.
Advocating for nurses has a positive impact on patient care and outcomes in healthcare institutions. First, advocacy ensures nurses have enough resources to take care of the patients properly and effectively. Also, there is adequate staffing of nurses, increasing their availability efficiency in taking care of patients. In an organization where nurses are short-staffed, for example, they are always tired and overworked, increasing their chances of committing medical errors or offering substandard care to patients (Tomajan, 2012). Nursing advocacy also ensures that nurses’ ideas and proposals are heard and considered when making decisions. This makes them feel like important organization members, increasing their commitment and ultimately improving their service to patients. Where proper care is extended to patients in hospitals, there is an increase in patient outcomes.
References
Nitzky, A. (2018). As Nurses, We Must Advocate for Ourselves. ONC Nursing News.
Tomajan, K. (2012). Advocating for Nurses and Nursing. OJIN: The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing.