patient advocacy

[nicky12]

What are some common patient advocacy examples? Anyone have some examples I could really use them.

Thanks!

[klone, MSN, RN]

Homework?

Pretty much all of nursing is patient advocacy.

[nicky12]

Hi klone,

Thanks for your reply, I have upcoming job interviews and I couldn't think of any good examples for patient advocacy. Any feedback would be appreciated. Thank you.

[RNNPICU, BSN, RN]

Think of a time that you advocated for sedation, pain medication, tests, or to have the MDs come and assess your findings. Or having a consult because something you noted warranted another look. Then state the outcome of your intervention.

Think about a patient that really got to you and you went the extra mile for.

[klone, MSN, RN]

Think of a time you spoke to a doctor to have an order or a med changed, or patient's pain wasn't being relieved. Or the patient was NPO and was really hungry and you felt it appropriate to advance diet. Or family was bugging patient and you wanted patient to rest, so you corralled them out.

[firstinfamily, RN]

You noticed the pt was feeling fainty, their heart rate was low, you checked their b/p and it was low as well, pt was alert, but had to sit/lay down due to the dizziness. You look at the medication list and notice they are on a betablocker, that can cause a low heart rate and maybe this pt is receiving this dose twice a day, so you notify the MD and he reduces the dose----that is being a pt advocate, or the pt is coughing up yellow mucus, lung sounds are diminished bilatera, his O2 sats are not as good as they were earlier in the hospital stay, you ask the MD for a CXR to r/o pneumonia---outcome was a diagnosis of pneumonia and ABT was initiated---you were an advocate for your pt. or Pt states his wife is worrying about his recovery and thinks they will need help at home, you talk to the wife about this and she feels totally overwhelmed, you make the social worker/case manager aware---you are an advocate for your pt. Good Luck with the interview!!! Anytime you are interpreting data and see a need that will help your patient and ask for it you are being a pt advocate!!

[nicky12]

Thank you all for the responses! Greatly appreciated!

[ilbe]

Your patient don't want to have medication, then you can advocate him not giving medication. Sometimes they force to give but respect pt's will.

[jadelpn, LPN, EMT-B]

You will get all kinds of patients, from many walks of life, with countless theories/beliefs/lifestyles. To advocate, a nurse can actively listen, repeat for clarity and understanding, and discuss viable options to a treatment plan that the patient is comfortable with, and most importantly, follow.

The non-negotiables of treatment and care can be made clearer and patient priority if a nurse educates the patient on their disease process, medication compliance and why it is important, and services available to them--a viable discharge plan.

Any number of patients have a long thought process on the care that they are wanting and the treatment plan needs to reflect closely to that as feasible.

It is all in education and communication.

Best wishes!

[nicky12]

Thanks guys for all the responses!