Importance of Patient Advocacy
Importance of Patient Advocacy
Advocacy is as essential to the role of a nurse as any other aspect of nursing care. Interacting with patients more than any other healthcare provider, nurses are in the perfect position to serve as patient advocates (“Importance of Patient Advocacy in Nursing | UTA Online,” 2016) We as nurses are the ones who know the patient the best. We are at the bedside the majority of the time with these patients and families. We get to know them the best, so we as nurses have the responsibility to advocate for them.
I had a patient once who was pod #1 s/p laparoscopic gastrectomy sleeve. The patient seemed to be doing very well until he became very SOB, was complaining of chest pain, shoulder pain, he was tachycardic. This particular surgeon is very particluar with his patients and does not like to get anyone else involved. We strictly call him to his cell phone with any questions or concerns. However, in this case he did not reply promply to my call, so i had to call a RRT. Patient had to go to the ICU, and later found out that a patient had a leak. Had I waited for the surgeon to call me back or not called an RRT, the patient wouldnt have been treated promptly.
Advocating for our patients is crutial for them. We care for them in one of there most vulnerables times in their lives. They trust the heathcare professionals to do what is best for them.
