Nurses have a duty to always care for their patients so that they can eventually recover their full physical health after suffering from an accident, injury, or illness. As a nurse, we definitely don’t need to tell you that. However, when we say that a nurse should always “look out for their patients,” we’re not exactly referring to giving care and helping them recover. We’re actually talking more about having your patient’s back; interceding on their behalf in front of doctors and other parties, in the interest of preserving their personal integrity while also seeking to improve the nursing profession as a whole.

In other words, we’re talking about nurse advocacy.

Why Should I Advocate for my Patient?

First and foremost, nurse-patient advocacy is one of the tenets of the nursing trade, which can be exhibited in several ways. This relationship between the nurse and her patient, in most cases, should be based on absolute trust; trust that the nurse is caring for the patient in more ways than one and, in return, the patient is forthcoming when asked for information and simply focuses on getting better.

The truth is, due to their particular set of skills, nurses are the best patient advocates in the workplace, hands-down. They spend the most time with the patient and are in constant contact with the hospital’s limitations. So, these particular circumstances put them in the best position to intercede on the patient’s behalf, and speak about their needs, as well as their safety concerns at all times.

According to Audrey Wirth, MSN, RN-BC, CVRN-BC, a nursing instructor at Aurora University in Aurora, Illinois, she believes nurses must always speak up and advocate for their patients, as they are the only professionals that are truly in touch with their needs and requirements, however specific these may be. “Nurses must be vocal and know the avenues, both internal and external to their facility, that are available to facilitate and promote changes for the benefit of both patients and the health care system,” Wirth said.

Also, nurses are quite privileged, in the sense that, statistically speaking, they are the most trusted profession in the entire country, and with good reason! This makes them the best advocates for their patients, and it is their task to ensure that they are always aware of their rights, to enforce their rights by guaranteeing things like privacy, and to give support in making decisions about their care.

How Can I Properly Develop the Nurse-Patient Relationship?

By simply doing your daily rounds and coming into contact with patients on a daily basis, you will gain a unique insight into the specific conditions of each person that you care for. According to Cindy Cain, DNP©, MSN, CNS, RN, CCRN, clinical practice specialist with the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN), this intimate knowledge becomes essential if the patient’s condition deteriorates to the point where they can no longer speak or properly voice their choices.

“Take the time to get to know them and develop the nurse-patient relationship,” Cain advised. “That is the sacred knowledge that will best guide you in the role of patient advocate.”

Sandra Barnaby, RN, CDE, MPH, clinical manager at the Care Management Organization at Montefiore Health System, takes her advocacy skills to the next level by taking her elderly patients out to lunch to learn more about their circumstances, and to get a closer look into their private lives in order to understand their health needs, while also helping them to make healthy choices.

“We advocate for the patients for their health care needs, their psychosocial needs, and physiological needs,” Barnaby said. “That may include calling a physician’s office to secure a primary care appointment. Or it may entail identifying barriers and securing needed services, such as adequate housing.”

Nurse Advocacy in Health Care Matters

Aside from treating patients, it is also a nurse’s moral duty to keep up to date with the latest updates and news in the field of healthcare. “It is important to consider becoming active in one or more professional nursing organizations and participating in the local and national discussion regarding the future of healthcare,” Cain said.

This is the only way in which nurses can adequately voice their opinions when it comes to advocating for the rights of their patients in the context of policymakers and health care politics. In this sense, getting involved with a nursing organization is also a way of caring for their patients, even if there’s no actual healthcare involved.

Cain went on to say, “As nurses, patient advocacy also means being engaged in the discussion of healthcare’s future and using our voice to guide the decisions that will impact the future of patient care.”