What Are the Best Practices for Patient Advocacy in Nursing?

Patient advocacy is an essential part of nursing, and understanding and upholding patient rights is a critical component of it. Effective communication with patients and healthcare professionals is also essential for promoting patient advocacy. In this article, we will discuss how nurses can best practice patient advocacy, including communication strategies, ethical guidelines, and techniques to protect patients’ rights.

Nurse Insights

What Are the Best Practices for Patient Advocacy in Nursing?

In our Nurse Insights series, experienced nurses offer an insider’s perspective on the nursing profession by addressing common questions, challenges, and triumphs of their careers.

Understanding Patient Rights

As a registered nurse(RN) or licensed practical nurse (LPN), your role will often involve advocating for your patients. One of the most critical aspects of doing this well is fully understanding and upholding patient rights.

Patient rights refer to the legal and ethical rights that patients have while receiving medical care. These may include but are not limited to the right to informed consent, privacy, and the ability to refuse treatment. As a nurse, ensuring these rights are respected is not only an ethical obligation but can significantly impact a patient’s experience and outcome.

Informed Consent

Informed consent is the process by which a patient is educated about and agrees to receive a specific medical treatment. It’s your responsibility to ensure that consent is fully informed, meaning the patient has been given all necessary and relevant information, such as potential risks, benefits, and alternatives, so they can make an educated decision.

The patient’s right to informed consent also means they have the right to refuse treatment. Acknowledging this right is not only ethical but also promotes a sense of trust between the patient and nurse, strengthening the caregiving relationship.

Privacy

Privacy is another essential patient right. According to healthcare regulations like the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), maintaining patient privacy is non-negotiable. Nurses should only share pertinent patient information with other healthcare workers involved in the patient’s care while ensuring their privacy is protected.

Upholding patient rights isn’t just about legal or ethical compliance. It’s essential for providing the best possible care to your patients. By ensuring your patients’ rights are respected, you help foster a safer, more comfortable healthcare environment, which can encourage better communication and cooperation from patients across the care continuum.

Effective Communication Skills

Effectively communicating builds trust and promotes patient advocacy. As a nurse, your excellent communication skills, both verbal and nonverbal, can significantly impact patient outcomes.

Verbal Communication

When communicating with patients, your words carry a lot of weight. Ensure your message is clear and comprehensive. Simplify complex medical jargon into plain language patients can understand. For example, instead of using “hypertension”, use “high blood pressure.”

In addition, active listening skills are crucial. Information you gain from patients’ verbal cues can greatly contribute to accurate diagnosis, personalized care plans and improving your patient’s overall hospital experience.

Provide regular updates to patients about their health status and involve them in the decision-making process when appropriate. It’s important that patients feel included in these decisions as it helps reduce feelings of uncertainty and anxiety, which can impact their recovery process.

Nonverbal Communication

Don’t underestimate the impact of nonverbal cues. Your body language, eye contact, and even the tone of your voice, all communicate messages to your patients. A comforting touch, maintaining eye contact, or a gentle tone can reassure anxious patients. It shows empathy and compassion and forms a bond of trust, which is necessary for patient advocacy.

Communication With Other Healthcare Professionals

Communicating effectively with your colleagues is just as critical. Reliable handover communication about patients’ health status is crucial for the continuity of patient care. Use tools like SBAR (Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendation) for structured and effective communication among healthcare professionals. This efficient sharing of relevant information helps in formulating an accurate care plan or, at times, can even be lifesaving.

Digital Communication

With the advancement in technology, digital communication is becoming more prevalent in healthcare settings. Be vigilant while documenting patient records, writing emails, or using electronic health record (EHR) systems. Accuracy and clarity should always be the priority.

Remember, effective communication in nursing hinges upon professional, ethical, and respectful exchanges. It plays a key role in patient safety, patient satisfaction, and treatment compliance, making it fundamental in nursing.