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Page 8 • Colorado Nurse November, December 2016, January 2017
The Role & Responsibility of Advocacy in Nursing K a th y E s te s , R N , M S S t u d e n t
D N A 3
A dvocacy is em b e d d e d in th e fo u n d a tio n of th e p ro fessio n of n u rsin g . M a tth e w s, (2012) d e sc rib e s ad v o c acy as th e c o rn e rsto n e of n u rs in g , w h ic h e n c o m p a sses p a tie n t, h e a lth c a re access a n d delivery, a n d p ro fe ssio n a l issu es. The m ost n o tab le to rc h b e a re r of c o u rse w as F lo ren ce N ig h tin g a le w ho in itia te d th e fram ew o rk a n d n a v ig a te d th e p la n to ed u c a te a n d govern n u rs in g p ra c tic e . Her ea rly ac h ie v e m e n ts and a d v a n ces have im p a c te d g e n e ratio n s of n u rse s re g a rd in g th e ir p e rso n a l c a re e r a n d e d u c a tio n a l a d v a n cem en t. The ongoing effort w o u ld not hav e b ee n p o ssib le w ith o u t th e d ev e lo p m e n t by re s p e c te d p ro fessio n al n u rs in g advocates. T hese factors are th e so u rc e of em p o w e rm e n t for th e in d iv id u a l n u rse a n d th e c o lle c tiv e p ro fe ssio n a l n u rs in g m e m b e rsh ip to ad v o cate on b e h a lf of p a tie n ts a n d h e a lth affairs.
N u rse s are tr u s te d a n d re s p e c te d by p a tie n ts a n d th e h e a lth care in d u s tr y as e v id e n c e d by th e 2015 G a llu p s u rv e y on h o n e sty an d e th ic s as th e p ro fessio n w ith th e h ig h e s t e th ic a l s ta n d a rd s , (ANA, 2015). T hese are im p re ssiv e a ttrib u te s th a t a lig n w e ll w ith th e a b ility to advocate for se lf a n d o th ers. T here is p o w e r in n u m b e rs an d n o tab ly th e n u rs in g p ro fe ssio n ex ceed s th re e m illio n . N u rsin g is th e la rg e st se c to r of th e
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h e a lth ca re in d u s try , w h ic h is th e re a so n p eo p le lis te n w h e n n u rse s sp eak . N u rse s p o ssess th e k n o w led g e a n d e x p e rie n c e re la te d to p a tie n ts a n d h e a lth care. T here is great p o te n tia l to in flu e n c e th e m y ria d of issu e s in th e w o rk p la ce a n d in g o v ern m e n t, b u t n u rse s m u st u se th e fu ll ca p a c ity of th e ir voice.
M any n u rse s leave th e advocacy ro le a n d re s p o n sib ilitie s to o th e rs b ec au se th e y a ssu m e th e y are n o t d ire c tly im p a c te d or th e ir ca u se is re p re se n te d . N u rses hav e th e p ro p e n s ity to becom e c o m p lac en t b e c a u se life gets b u sy or th e y feel n o th in g w ill change. For som e, n u rs in g is v iew e d as th e ir job, th e job th a t pays th e b ills, a n d p ro v id e s th e b e n e fit package, w h ic h is a n e c e ssity an d p rio rity . C om p lacen cy becom es b o th a s u rv iv a l m e c h a n ism a n d b a r rie r to th e m any b e n e fits of p ro fe ssio n a l a n d p e rso n a l advocacy.
T here are g ro w in g n u m b e rs of n u rse s w ho re c o g n iz e th e v alu e of p a r tic ip a tin g in advocacy on b e h a lf of n u rs in g a n d v iew th e ir p ro fe ssio n a l c a re e r as a lifelo n g le a rn in g w ith p h a se s, p a th w a y s, an d p ro fe ssio n a l goals. T h is ch o ice re q u ire s in v o lv em en t a n d in v e s tm e n t in y o u rse lf, y o u r p a tie n ts , a n d y o u r co lleag u es. T his p a th n e c e ssita te s in v o lv em en t in y o u r w o rk p la ce an d p ro fe ssio n a l a sso c ia tio n s. T hese a c tiv itie s grow th e know ledge, s k ill, ab ility , a n d co n fid e n c e to d ire c tly im p a c t issu es, p a tie n t care, events, a n d le g isla tio n . T h is is th e role a n d re s p o n sib ility of th e n u rs e advocate.
The A m eric an N u rses A sso cia tio n (ANA), th e C olorado N u rse s A sso c ia tio n (CNA), are ex am p les of p ro fe ssio n a l o rg a n iz a tio n s th a t are ac cessib le to C olorado n u rse s. T hese p ro fe ssio n a l a sso c ia tio n s ad v o cates on b e h a lf of a ll n u rse s re g a rd le ss of m e m b e rsh ip , th e y p ro v id e co lle g ia l a n d p ro fessio n al su p p o rt. T hey are th e s te w a rd s th a t m o n ito r h e a lth care le g isla tio n a n d advocacy on b e h a lf of n u rs e s a n d c o n s titu e n ts . T hese a sso c ia tio n s are som e of th e pow er a n d in flu e n c e b e h in d th e n u rs in g p ro fessio n . T hey n e e d y o u r in p u t a n d y o u r voice in advocacy a n d m em b ersh ip . N u rses are a m ajor co m p o n en t of th e h e a lth ca re in d u s tr y a n d s h o u ld a ttem p t to ex e rcise m ajor in flu e n c e on d ec isio n s g o v ern in g n u rse s a n d p a tie n t care. Recently, CNA h a s d ev e lo p e d a n d p ro v id e d a n In tro d u c tio n to A dvocacy Boot C am p W e b in a r in N ovem ber 2016. T his effort is in re sp o n se to re q u e sts to su p p o rt C olorado n u rs e s in d ev e lo p in g th e ir advocacy role, sk ills , a n d co n fid e n ce. CNA p la n s to f u r th e r develop a n d re p e a t th is offering. You m ay access m ore in fo rm a tio n ab o u t n u rs in g advocacy in Colorado a n d th e n a tio n th ro u g h th e CNA w eb site at h ttp :// w w w .c o lo ra d o n u rse s.o rg .
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