Concept Analysis
Concept Analysis: Patient Advocacy
College of Science and Health Professions
Department of Health Professions: Nursing
The purpose of this concept analysis is to identify, focus, and refine how patient advocacy is perceived by professional nurses in the nursing community. This paper will follow the Walker and Advant (2011) method of concept analysis to identify the concept of patient advocacy from existing literature with the aim to analyze and provide clarity and direction for enhancement of advocacy in nursing. Further, steps will include the process of identifying attributes of the concept, describing all model cases selected, identifying antecedents and consequences regarding the concept, and lastly, identifying examples of empirical referents of the concept (Walker & Avant, 2011).
Identification of Concept and Aim of Analysis
Patients often have an inadequate knowledge of illness and medicine, yet they desire more control over their personal healthcare. In many healthcare settings, patient care is unpredictable and patient’s right to self-determine and quality-of-life has a tendency to be ignored (Bu & Jezewski, 2006). Advocacy is understood as the act of pleading for, supporting, or recommending (Webster’s Online Dictionary, n.d.). Moreover, the concept most often noted in literature as a component of nursing advocacy involves acting on behalf of patients, including nurses’ activities of speaking, fighting, and standing up for their patients (Hanks, 2007).
Nurses are in a unique position to support their patient’s interests in the re-establishment of health and well-being through patient advocacy. However, due to the limited number of quantitative empirical studies of patient advocacy in nursing, the definition of patient advocacy is not consistent, and many nurses have a limited view of what patient advocacy is and how to perform the challenging task of protecting and supporting patient’s rights. (Bu & Jezewski, 2006).
College of Science and Health Professions
Department of Health Professions: Nursing
The purpose of this concept analysis is to identify, focus, and refine how patient advocacy is perceived by professional nurses in the nursing community. This paper will follow the Walker and Advant (2011) method of concept analysis to identify the concept of patient advocacy from existing literature with the aim to analyze and provide clarity and direction for enhancement of advocacy in nursing. Further, steps will include the process of identifying attributes of the concept, describing all model cases selected, identifying antecedents and consequences regarding the concept, and lastly, identifying examples of empirical referents of the concept (Walker & Avant, 2011).
Identification of Concept and Aim of Analysis
Patients often have an inadequate knowledge of illness and medicine, yet they desire more control over their personal healthcare. In many healthcare settings, patient care is unpredictable and patient’s right to self-determine and quality-of-life has a tendency to be ignored (Bu & Jezewski, 2006). Advocacy is understood as the act of pleading for, supporting, or recommending (Webster’s Online Dictionary, n.d.). Moreover, the concept most often noted in literature as a component of nursing advocacy involves acting on behalf of patients, including nurses’ activities of speaking, fighting, and standing up for their patients (Hanks, 2007).
Nurses are in a unique position to support their patient’s interests in the re-establishment of health and well-being through patient advocacy. However, due to the limited number of quantitative empirical studies of patient advocacy in nursing, the definition of patient advocacy is not consistent, and many nurses have a limited view of what patient advocacy is and how to perform the challenging task of protecting and supporting patient’s rights. (Bu & Jezewski, 2006).