“Patient advocacy” is a buzzword floating around every American healthcare system, but what does this catch phrase really mean? Beyond that, how can clinicians, especially nurses, best advocate for patients under their care? Keep reading to find out the answers to these questions and more.
What Is Patient Advocacy?
An advocate is “one who supports or promotes the interests of a cause or group” (Merriam-Webster). Therefore, patient advocacy is the act of “supporting” or “promoting” the interests of patients.
Regardless of their specialty, all nurses have an obligation to advocate for their patients. In essence, this means nurses have an obligation to protect their patients from harm, regardless of the harm’s source. While nurses never tell their patients what to do, they undertake actions to uphold the rights of those in their care.