Nursing beliefs and actions in exercising patient advocacy in a hospital context

Abstract

Objective: Analyzing beliefs and actions of nurses in exercising patient advocacy in a hospital context. Method: A quantitative cross-sectional exploratory and descriptive study, conducted with 153 nurses from two hospitals in southern Brazil, one public and one philanthropic, by applying Protective Nursing Advocacy Scale -Brazilian version. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and analysis of variance. Results: Nurses believe they are advocating for patients in their workplaces, and agree that they should advocate, especially when vulnerable patients need their protection. Personal values and professional skills have been identified as major sources of support for the practice of advocacy. Conclusion: Nurses do not disagree nor agree that advocating for patients in their working environments can bring them negative consequences. It is necessary to recognize how the characteristics of public and private institutions have helped or not helped in exercising patient advocacy by nurses.

O exercício de advocacy no âmbito da enfermagem: uma análise filosófica gadameriana

“…Neste caminho, mesmo por vezes não reconhecendo a importância da formação ética, o agir ético agrega o saber teórico e formativo durante a experiência prática 20,23 , ou seja, "aquele que deve tomar decisões morais é alguém que já aprendeu alguma coisa. Ele está determinado por sua educação e suas origens, de modo que em geral sabe o que é correto" 6:417 .…”

Health advocacy in nursing: contribution to the reorientation of the Brazilian healthcare model

“…It can be a powerful initiative to promote the improvement of living and health conditions, but it requires, from health professionals, an action guided by the principles of justice and equity (5)(6) . Its purpose is to defend and protect the health rights of people and social groups at a disadvantage, as well as to help them get health care by empowerment (5)(6)(7) . When searching, in the literature, health advocacy practices for overcoming or minimizing health iniquities, Farrer et al (5) identified six dimensions of advocacy that contribute to promote health equity: 1) producing types of evidence needed to defend the equity in health and ways to transfer this knowledge to other political processes; 2) highlighting the importance of the participation of the various subjects in defense of health equity; 3) conveying health messages to society, as a value and a form of social justice, right of individuals, and state liability; 4) adapting arguments to different political views; 5) identifying barriers and facilitators of the effective defense for health equity; 6) instituting practices and activities that increase the effectiveness of health advocacy.…”

“…Discussions on advocacy in the nursing field began around the 1970s, from social movements that claimed more autonomy for people in health care before the practices of paternalistic care in force then (7,9) . Such movements, seeking to direct the decision-making power of health care to the patients themselves, provoked discussions on the role of nurses as defenders of those rights, since, for being close to the patients, they would be better suited for working with the concept of empowerment (9) .…”

“…Although the concept of advocacy is not clearly defined in nursing, its exercise is related to: providing the required subsidies for individuals and social groups to access health; defending the rights of these people by the quality of care; and acting as a link between individuals or groups and health services (7) . Health advocacy represents a key element for ethics in nursing, since it considers that respecting human rights, life, and human dignity is inherent to the professional practice of nursing (10) .…”

Comparative characteristics of professional predispositions of medical personnel

“…Mental conditions are basic in the difficult work with human being needing help. Stress, burden with other people's problems, responsibility for their health and life, require resistance during performing standard duties and tasks [2]. We often wonder if each student choosing a medical job has identified predispositions, if each is able to manage with mental burden, to express empathy, authenticity and desire to help other people.…”