Re: Topic 5 DQ 2 The importance of advocacy as it pertains to patient care is a huge part of a nurse’s job, and it’s called for by codes of ethics from both

Re: Topic 5 DQ 2 The importance of advocacy as it pertains to patient care is a huge part of a nurse’s job, and it’s called for by codes of ethics from both

the American Nurses Association and the International Council of Nurses (Stasik 2020). The nurse’s role is to advocate on the patient’s behalf and to assist in maintaining the patients’ rights and fair treatment. Nurses must allow the patients to advocate for themselves and educate them appropriately. The nurses act as an advocate between the patient and the processes and system.

Nurses must listen to their patients to be able to advocate for them appropriately. Nurses must keep in mind the level of education of a patient, their cultural background, and speak respectfully to their patient to be a successful advocate. With the field of nursing rapidly changing and covid 19 progressively affecting many patients the need for advocacy has been stronger than ever. I was a medical proxy for a patient admitted with covid 19 in respiratory failure. The patient was on a vent and the hospital was not doing all that was needed in the best interest of the patient due to her not being able to make her needs known. The patient was nonverbal and intellectually disabled. After I received the call the patient was being treated and the hospital wanted to make the patient DNR I stepped in to advocate. The patient received blood plasma and progressively recovered. If the patient did not have me advocate for her she would not have survived in my professional opinion.

References

Stasik, S. (n.d.). Patient advocacy and the nurse’s role. Travel Nursing Jobs | RN Nursing Specialties Jobs. https://www.nursechoice.com/traveler-resources/the-role-of-a-nurse-in-patient-advocacy/