Final Discussion regarding Patient Advocacy

Over the course of these last three weeks we have reviewed the basic principles of patient advocacy. In synopsis, a patient advocate is someone who speaks out for someone who is powerless or in a vulnerable situation who is for whatever reason unable to speak for themselves. According to the American Nurses Association (ANA) being a patient advocate is a major role for the nurse. It is important as we practice to remember the four main ethical principles of ethics, non maleficence; beneficence; autonomy; and justice. Violations of these principles usually indicates a situation in which the patient/client needs someone to advocate for them. Advocating for your patient/client is not without its barriers as described in the article previously mentioned (link was provided). An example is lack of support from the rest of the multidisciplinary team. If a patient centered approach to care and ethical principles adhered too than ideally such situations should be minimized. Advocating for your patient is an essential function of being a professional nurse.